Convergent Paths
by Mav Tails
Summary: Three friends set off on their own journeys. Along their paths, they find that the world is much darker than they anticipated. Separated from each other, will they be able to handle their realities? Or will they allow it to swallow them up?
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or Nintendo or anything like that. I'm just a nerd that has a huge interest in it. Most of the characters in this narrative are mine. People like Gym Leaders and Professor Oak, however, are NOT.**_

_Hi, everyone. This is Mav Tails...or nokyo-chan, whatever you wanna call me. The title _Convergent Paths _is only temporary. This is a story that gets into the darker side of Pokemon, so...you've been warned!! It starts out VERY light, though. There's even a bit of parody._

_All right, well...enjoy and please review!!_

_If you like the way I write, I have a few other fanfics, as well as a Fictionpress account. Review those too!!_

* * *

The _SS Anne_ cruised through the ocean, flashing in the sun. The on-deck pool was a bit crowded, but this was mostly because of the sunbathers lounging on the chairs around it. Fashionable sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats were common.

A nine-year-old girl (without sunglasses _or_ a wide-brimmed-hat) stood impatiently by her mother's chair, staring down at her face. She wore a one-piece bathing suit and had her light green-blue hair in two rather unkempt ponytails on each side of her head.

"Momma, _please_ watch me so I can swim?"

"Why don't you go in the kiddie pool?" Her mother gestured towards it without looking up. The girl scoffed.

"There are _kids_ in the kiddie pool."

"Aren't you a kid?"

"I'm nine. Those kids are little."

The woman sighed. "Alyssa. Go."

Alyssa turned and stalked toward the kiddie pool.

A similar scene was happening further down, this time with a girl with honey-colored, shoulder-length hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a frilly two-piece bathing suit that she herself had picked out and clutched a pink towel to her chest. "Mother, I really would like to swim."

"Go to the wade pool, darling," the woman replied, adjusting her wide-brimmed hat.

"But those children are younger than I am! _Much_ younger!"

"Cassandra, do as I tell you."

And just like Alyssa, Cassandra turned and weaved her way toward the pool. Unbeknownst to both of them, a third girl was going through the exact same situation. She, too, wore a two-piece. It had a red top and white bottom, making her resemble a Poké Ball. Her black hair was long and reached her waist, and she also desperately wanted to swim. She, however, got the same command as her two fellows.

"Belle, go to the kiddie pool."

And so Belle, Cassandra, and Alyssa arrived at the kiddie pool at the exact same time that fateful day, different as could be, with only a few things in common.

They stared at each other, each of them dumbfounded at actually finding someone their age. Alyssa spoke first, stepping in between them and sitting down on the edge of the pool as she did so. "My name is Alyssa," she said, thrusting her legs knee-deep in the cool water.

"I'm Cassandra." She sat down beside her.

"Belle." She lowered herself down on Alyssa's other side. "Me and my parents are from Cherrygrove City. Where are you guys from?"

Both Alyssa and Cassandra stared blankly at Belle. "Cherrygrove City?" Cassandra asked, leaning forward and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Where's that?"

Belle cocked her head. "Well, where do you guys live?"

Cassandra sighed daintily and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "_I_ live in the most beautiful town in the world…Verdanturf! Oh, every day I see the Contest building! Every day I wish that I could compete!" She sighed again and looked over at Belle and Alyssa, smiling broadly. Her smile faltered when she realized that they had no idea what she was talking about.

"Verdanturf?" Alyssa asked. Then she snapped her fingers. "Oh, we're all from different _regions_!"

"Oh," Cassandra and Belle said in unison.

"I'm from Johto," Belle said.

"And I'm from Hoenn," Cassandra piped up.

"I'm from Almia," Alyssa told them. "I'm from a place called Chicole Village. Well, right now I'm going to the Ranger School. I want to be a Pokémon Ranger when I grow up! What about you guys?"

"I would like to be a Pokémon Coordinator," Cassandra said, raising her arms toward the sky happily.

Belle pushed her dark hair off her neck. "I want to be a Pokémon Trainer."

And at the end of the day, they were all very best friends.


	2. Chapter 1

_I'm giving you the prologue and chapter one at the same time, sooo...yeah. Here on out, I'm not going to use author's notes at the beginning of the chapter. (This comes with a few exceptions, but not many.) I will just thank my reviewers at the end._

* * *

The sun shone down brightly, casting light over the three people standing at the dock in New Bark Town. A ferry glinted in the distance, and all three peoples' eyes were on it. They were a mother and her two children, a sixteen-year-old daughter and an eight-year-old son. The mother grasped her son's hand firmly, her eyes watching the ferry with growing dread. She had raven-colored hair that tumbled in soft ringlets down her shoulders. Her lips were plump and red, and her skin was fair. She was beautiful, but her age showed in the lines around her eyes and mouth, made as much from worrying as they were from laughing. The son had dark hair as well, and he also watched the ferry with a bit of dread. He would miss his sister.

The sister in question stood as far up as possible on the dock without falling off the edge. Both her hands gripped the straps of her backpack tightly, and her blue cap shaded her eyes from the sun as she eagerly watched for the ferry. She wore dark khaki shorts and a blue T-shirt with a Poké Ball printed across her chest. Her hair was just as dark as her mother's, but the ends bobbed around her chin as she stood on tiptoe and shifted her weight to see the ferry.

"Belle," the mother called. "Could you please come back here with us?"

"Aw, Mom!" But Belle turned and dutifully walked back to stand with her mother and little brother.

The boy said nothing. He didn't even complain that he was being made to hold his mother's hand, or that she was squeezing too tight. He didn't trust himself to talk; he was blinking back tears already. His sister was leaving on her Pokémon Journey…what was he to do?

"It's getting closer!" Belle said excitedly, turning to look at the ferry again. She bounced on the balls of her feet, making her newly-shortened hair wiggle.

"I don't know why you had to cut your hair," Belle's mother said sadly, reaching out to touch the back of her daughter's bouncing head. Belle jerked away quickly.

"You can't have long hair on a Pokémon Journey, Mom." Her tone was dismissive. She glanced down at her little brother, who had finally torn his eyes away from the quickly-approaching ferry and was staring instead at his feet. "Hey, Derek. You okay?"

He looked up at her and met her eyes. Just like always, it startled Belle to look at them—they were the same crisp blue color as their father's. Belle had gotten her mother's dark brown eyes. He was like a little piece of her father, who had died in the Sinnoh region not long after Derek was born. Derek had never met him.

"Couldn't you start your journey in Johto?" Belle's mother asked, not giving Derek enough time to answer his sister.

"No. I wanted to start in Kanto because…well…Dad started there." She lowered her eyes to Derek's again, but he was looking at the ground. A strange silence descended upon the trio, broken a few minutes later by the loud bleat of the ferry's horn.

"Sweet!" Belle cried, punching the air as she turned to look at the ferry, but her arm slowly lowered as she took it in.

From far away it had looked gleaming white, but up close it seemed dingy, almost gray. The name on the side was illegible. A tired-looking man came out and tied the boat off before standing awkwardly at the back of the ferry, looking in their direction. It bobbed in the water, which now looked more gray than blue—was the boat polluting it? Belle bit her lip and turned back to her family, forcing a smile. She didn't have to try too hard; even though the boat looked bad, she was about to embark on her Pokémon Journey!

"Well, Mom…this is it. This is good-bye for right now."

Belle's mother tore her eyes away from the ferry. "Are you sure you want to ride this…_thing_? We can pay for a Lapras ride, it's—"

"The ferry's already here, Mom. I'll be fine."

She sighed heavily and nodded. "As you wish, dear. Just…be careful." She reached out and hugged Belle tightly, closing her eyes. Belle allowed herself a small snuggle before breaking the hug.

"Derek," she said, getting down on her knee. "Can I have a hug from you, too?"

Derek plunged his hand into his pocket and pulled something out, which he thrust at her and looked away. Belle took it from him and he put his arm down by his side as she inspected it. It was a small plastic Charizard toy, poised with its wings open and head thrown toward the air as if it were roaring loudly. The paint was chipped in some places from being played with too much. "Your Charizard figurine, Derek?"

"I want you to have it," he mumbled, the first words he'd spoken all day. "So you won't forget me."

Belle almost burst into tears. Charizard was his favorite Pokémon, and this had been his favorite toy. She hadn't been allowed to touch it until now. "I could never forget you, Derek."

He fidgeted. "Just in case."

"I'll keep it with me always," Belle assured him, tucking the toy away in a pocket of her backpack. She reached out and pulled him toward her, hugging him. He returned the embrace, and she allowed a few tears to slip onto her little brother's back. She had tried to be a companion to him. There weren't a lot of little boys in Cherrygrove, and she had tried so hard to be interested in boyish things with him. She would miss him very much.

Belle finally stood, discreetly brushing away some tears. "Okay…I love you both." She turned and went to the ferry. The tired man reached out and helped her onto the boat before untying it from the dock and going in the cabin to inform the captain. Belle gripped the rail with one hand and waved with the other. Clouds began to roll in as the boat pulled away, covering the sun as she got further and further away from the dock. Her mother and little brother were reduced to colored specks in the distance before it finally started to rain.

This was _not_ the way she had planned to begin her Pokémon Journey.

_Dear Cassandra,_

_I'm writing to you from the ferry that's taking me to Kanto. My journey didn't really get off to a good start. I expected to be standing on the deck of a boat, enjoying a gentle breeze and some sunshine while I talked to other budding Pokémon Trainers, not sitting alone in the rain under a smelly poncho that I borrowed from the not-so-boyish cabin boy. I guess I found out why that ticket I bought was so cheap._

_Anyway, hope you're having more luck starting out than I am!_

_Love lots,_

_Belle_


	3. Chapter 2

Cassandra's palms were sweating and she thought she might have a fever.

Not too long ago, Cassandra and her mother had taken the trip down to Littleroot Town to collect her first Pokémon. Her mother had wanted her to import a different type of Starter Pokémon from Kanto, Johto, or Sinnoh ("Oh, dear, why don't you get a lovely Piplup? You know, I hear Bulbasaur are loyal little things. What's wrong with a darling little Cyndaquil?"), but she had wanted to start out in her _own_ region. She had chosen Mudkip and named him Finny, and she thought he suited her just fine. He was a friendly little creature. Not too long after that, she had been successful in capturing a Swablu on their way through Rustboro, which she had decided to enter to use as her first Contest Pokémon.

Now she was registering for the Contest in her own town of Verdanturf. She couldn't say why she was so nervous; it was just _registering_, after all. But no matter how much she told herself that, she couldn't help trembling as she stepped up to the desk. The woman looked down at her and smiled warmly.

"Just sign your name under which date you'd like."

Cassandra picked up the pen and pulled the sheet toward her, looking down the line. There was one in three weeks…but was that too soon? She had been training both Finny and Swablu, but would they be ready in three weeks?

_Yes,_ said the strong, confident part of her brain. _They will be ready._

Cassandra shook some more. _But what if they're not?_

_They will be ready._

Trying to steady her hand, Cassandra signed herself up for the contest in three weeks. Under the column heading "Competing Pokémon", she wrote down _Swablu_.

The woman took the sheet back as Cassandra pushed it toward her and looked it over. "Okay…and may I see this Swablu? I have to make a small inspection."

_Should I be worried?_ Cassandra wondered, pulling Swablu's Poké Ball out of her purse. She tossed the Ball into the air with a slight flourish; she had been practicing for being a Coordinator since she was small, and this was now a habit. Swablu burst out of it and crowed happily before descending slowly to land on the desk. This was Swablu's habit, having been practicing this very thing for days on end.

"Very impressive," the woman at the desk told her. She put a hand on Swablu's head and touched her wings. After a while of looking her over, she nodded to Cassandra, looking at her full in the face for the first time. "You're done." Then she frowned. "Say…aren't you that girl that lives in the house not far from here? Oh, what's her name…Joanna's daughter?"

"Y-yes," Cassandra replied, speaking for the first time. "I'm Cassandra."

The woman laughed. "Well, it's about time I'm seeing you in here! I've seen you out in your backyard since you were tiny, practicing your Coordinator moves. I'm glad you've taken your first step!"

Cassandra blushed furiously. "Thank you…" She returned Swablu to her Poké Ball and turned to leave.

"Oh—Cassandra!" the woman at the desk called.

Cassandra turned, pushing her hair away from her face. "Y-yes?"

"Your hair is really long. If you keep it that way, it could be your trademark."

And with a huge, satisfied grin, Cassandra left the Contest building, her thick, waist-length hair swaying with the bounce in her step.

_Dear Alyssa,_

_Isn't it almost time for you to graduate from Ranger School? Belle and I should make arrangements to come see it! Tell us when it is!_

_What's your Partner Pokémon going to be? I know that you don't really catch and train Pokémon like Belle and I do._

_My first Pokémon is Mudkip. I named him Finny. I caught a Swablu! I didn't name it anything, because soon it will evolve into Altaria, and that's a pretty enough name. I registered for my first Contest! The lady at the desk told me that my hair could be my trademark. I'm so excited! Finally, my dreams are starting to come true!_

_Hopefully I'll get to see you at your graduation!_

_Love always,_

_Cassandra_


	4. Chapter 3

It was, indeed, almost time for Alyssa to graduate from Ranger School, and she knew it. She stood in her dorm room, hurriedly throwing her hair into its usual ponytail as she grabbed her Styler.

Alyssa was famous. She was at the top of her class. She was pretty. She "captured" Pokémon extremely well with her student Styler. And, above all, she was _nice_. Alyssa was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone, and she did so without asking for anything in return. It was just her nature. Everyone knew Alyssa, even though she didn't know everyone else.

"Alyssa!"

She turned, tightening her ponytail, as one of her roommates came in. Casey had light brown hair that she kept in a bun, with two ringlets falling on either side of her face. She was taller than Alyssa; in fact, she was one of the tallest girls in the school. She was studying to be an Operator, not a Ranger. Her father was a Top Ranger, making her famous as well.

"Yeah?"

"We've got to get down to homeroom. They're briefing us on final exams."

Alyssa groaned. "Those aren't till next week!"

"Yeah, but they're giving us the schedule. I haven't been home in a really long time," Casey added a bit sadly as they left the room together. She lived in Pueltown, which was farther away from the Ranger School than Chicole Village was.

"Have you gotten any letters from your dad recently?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah. He's in the Fiore region right now."

"Will he be able to make it to your graduation?"

Casey shrugged. Alyssa found this extremely sad, so she decided not to question it any further. Her father was a farmer and her mother was a homemaker, so there was really no doubt that they would be making it to her graduation. She hadn't told them that she was at the top of her class, and she had asked the teachers to follow suit. She wanted her parents to be surprised when she got up to make the valedictory address.

As if Casey had been reading her thoughts, she asked, "Have you thought about what you're going to put into your speech?"

Alyssa shrugged. "I guess something about your dreams coming true, and how you can achieve anything through perseverance."

"Cool."

They arrived at their homeroom and entered. Alyssa and Casey sat beside each other. On Alyssa's other side was Greg, a small, rather geeky-looking kid. He was number two in the class, and because of this, he had never liked her. He had never told her if he wanted to become a Ranger or not, and he had only spoken to her in sharp growls. He deeply resented her for making better grades than he did, and this made her very sad every time she came upon him.

Their homeroom teacher came to the front of the class and began informing them of next week's testing schedule. Alyssa felt a familiar fluttering sensation in the pit of her stomach. She got this feeling whenever she started thinking about graduating and leaving the Ranger School. It was a mixture of dread, apprehension, and overwhelming excitement, and it always made her fidget in her seat.

The bell rang for first period, and Alyssa left the classroom with a piece of paper outlining the schedule for exams as well as graduation practice on top of her books.

_Dear Cassandra,_

_Do you know how we're supposed to get up with Belle now that she's traveling? I'm not sure, and I really want to send her the date of my graduation. It's not till sometime next month, but still…I really, really want you guys to come! And you need to make plans to stay for more than just a day; at least stay for a week!_

_It's really cool that you got a Mudkip and a Swablu. I don't know what I'm going to get for a Partner Pokémon; I don't choose, really. It's not like they make me decide between a Mudkip or a Chimchar or a Bulbasaur, or whatever it is that you guys pick between. It's whatever Pokémon I meet in the field._

_I have to start studying now. I may be really busy for the next two weeks, so I might not get a lot of time to write. Break a leg in your first contest, and if you get any word to Belle, tell her good luck on her journey!_

_Love you bunches,_

_Alyssa_

* * *

_Thanks to my reviewers!!_

**_silentlysnowing_**

**_Caigus of the White Lions_**


	5. Chapter 4

Belle hadn't realized that she got seasick. She gratefully stepped onto the firm, solid ground of Pallet Town with the help of the tired-looking man who served as cabin boy. She had never spoken to him enough to learn his name, and on her whole one-day journey, she had never seen the captain.

"Thanks for the poncho," she told him.

"No problem," he replied in his gruff voice. He saluted her briefly and turned back to the boat, walking away to tell the captain to take off. Belle reached into her pocket to make sure she still had the Charizard toy before turning away.

Pallet Town was very small. It was smaller, even, than New Bark Town. The only remarkable thing about it was the huge building on a hill, with pastures extending behind it. From here, they looked to be full of Pokémon, so Belle assumed that this was the Pokémon Lab, and therefore where she needed to go.

She picked her backpack up off the ground and slung it over her shoulder. The sky was still overcast, but at least it wasn't raining anymore. It was a long walk to the Lab, but she finally came to the door and entered.

People in lab coats where bustling around, making notes on clipboards, talking animatedly, carrying Pokémon and Poké Balls. Bookcases stretched from the floor to the ceiling. Belle walked forward slowly, a bit nervous. Now that she saw all the people, she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be in here.

"Can I help you?" A busy-looking person caught Belle by her elbow. It was a tall, dark-haired man with glasses. He peered down at her in an accusatory way.

"I…uh…was looking for the professor…I need to get a Starter Pokémon," Belle tried to explain.

The man narrowed his eyes. "Uh-huh. How about I just show you to the door, and you can call later…"

"Where are you taking that girl?"

The man stopped and looked up. A boy with black hair and an orange headband was standing there, a sketchbook under one arm. He frowned at the man as he walked forward.

"I was just showing her the way out," the man told him.

"She said she needed to get a Starter Pokémon," the boy said. "I'll just take her with me."

"But—"

"If she needs a Pokémon, she'd better see the professor. I'll take her to him."

The man appeared to be gritting his teeth. He relinquished his hold on Belle's elbow finally and nodded. "Take her, then." He then turned and bustled off.

"Sorry about that," the boy said, taking hold of Belle's other elbow and guiding her through the lab. "The aides get a bit touchy sometimes, him in particular. He seems to think people starting their Pokémon Journeys distract the professor, but it's part of his job. He's not very trusting, either. He's usually under the impression that whoever comes in here wants to steal something." He smiled and glanced down at her. "My name's Tracy, by the way."

"I'm Belle."

"Belle? It's nice to meet you." He took her to a large room. Towering bookshelves lined the walls. In the center of the room was a counter with three Poké Balls, and in the corner was a desk and a computer. Sitting in front of the computer was a gray-haired man in a white lab coat, and beside him was a giant purple blob.

"Professor?" Tracy called. "We've got another starter."

The professor swiveled his chair around and stood up. He had large eyes and thick, bushy eyebrows. He smiled broadly as he walked over, but the giant purple blob suddenly came to life and threw itself upon him, wrapping purple arms around him and making some sort of loud sound.

"No, Muk!" the professor yelled, and he grabbed a Poké Ball that had been lying on the desk. He returned the strange Pokémon to its Ball, which he set down. "So sorry," he said, panting as he walked toward Belle. "Muk is a tad affectionate. I am Professor Oak! And who are you?"

"I'm Belle," she replied. _This_ was Professor Oak? He didn't look anything like she expected. He wasn't skinny and gangly with big square glasses, not at all like Professor Elm.

"And would you like Squirtle, Bulbasaur, or Charmander?" Oak walked over to the counter and gestured to each of the three Poké Balls in turn. Belle frowned. This was the hardest part.

Which Pokémon did she want? This would probably be the one she would grow closest to, the one she would spend the most time with. Her very first Pokémon…how could she choose?

"I'm not quite sure," she said, putting her hands in her pockets and dipping her head. Her fingers closed over the Charizard toy in her pocket, and suddenly she thought of Derek. What if she brought home a Charizard? How cool would that be? Derek would be so impressed, and it might even inspire him to go on his own Pokémon Journey. And anyway, Charmander was a really good Pokémon. She looked up and smiled. "Actually, scratch that. I want Charmander, please."

"Charmander?" Professor Oak nodded and went to the table, picking up a Poké Ball. It opened in his hand and a Charmander appeared in front of him, tail flaming brightly.

"_Char!"_ it cried happily. Upon seeing Belle, it became quiet and cocked its head.

Belle knelt down on the floor. "Hi," she said to it. "I'm Belle." How many times was she going to introduce herself today?

The Charmander eyed her for a second before taking a tentative step forward. Belle reached her hand out toward it very slowly. "I'd like you to come with me on an adventure," she told it. "I'd like you to be my friend."

It came toward her, and inquisitive look in its eye. "Would you like to come with me? Would you like to be my friend?" She leaned forward ever so slightly, and the Charmander reached out with its tiny little claw and touched her fingertip. She drew in a breath and held it. Silence descended upon everyone in the room, which seemed to consist only of Belle and the Charmander.

And suddenly, the Charmander cried out happily and threw itself at Belle, hugging her. Belle laughed as it toppled her over, and she hugged it back. "You wanna be my friend?" she asked, and it cried out again.

Finally it let her up and she sat up, stroking its head lovingly. "Hm…how about I nickname you…Charmy! Do you like that?"

"_Char!"_

"You do, huh?" She tickled it.

"He seems to like you quite a bit," Professor Oak said.

"_He_? Charmy is a _he_?" Belle asked, scooping the Pokémon into her arms and standing.

"Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No…it's just good to know." She tickled Charmy under his chin. "So, the next town is Viridian City, right?"

"Right," Tracy said. "You'll want to stop there to rest for a while and buy some Poké Balls."

"I don't have enough money for a hotel room," Belle said uncertainly.

"Trainers are allowed to stay for free at Pokémon Centers," Professor Oak told her. "You look familiar…do you have any older siblings, by any chance?"

"No, but I have a face like my father's." Her stomach lurched. Did Oak perhaps know her father?

"What is your father's name?" Oak asked her.

"Uh…my father's name was Daniel," she told him. "His first Pokémon was a Bulbasaur." She remembered being five years old and clambering all over the flower on Venosaur's back.

Oak frowned. "His name _was_ Daniel? Is he…"

Belle took in a deep, shuddering breath. "He died when I was eight. He was continuing his Pokémon Journey in the Sinnoh region, and a bunch of cult freaks killed him in some quest for a better world."

"I remember him," Oak said softly, putting his hands behind his back. "He often sent me updates on Venosaur." He sighed. "I would like to give you, young lady, a Pokédex."

Belle watched Oak go over to his computer and pick up a red thing that had been lying next to it. "A Pokédex?"

"Yes. It's an encyclopedia of sorts. It records information on Pokémon. It's quite useful."

"It's kind of a high-tech encyclopedia, then?"

Oak sighed. "I'm so tired of using those words, but yes." He handed her the red thing. It was rectangular. She placed Charmy on the ground and opened it up, moving it so the little lens on it was fixed on her Charmander.

"Charmander," it said, startling her. She jumped and almost dropped it; instead, she shut it and tucked it into her backpack.

"Here's Charmy's Poké Ball," Tracy said, handing the Ball to Belle. She took it from him. "Charmy goes inside it."

"Right. Uh, return, Charmy!" A beam of red light shot from the center of the Ball and enveloped Charmy. Charmy was sucked back into the Ball. Belle blinked. It was strange to be doing this herself; she had seen her father do it so many times.

"Well, good luck on your journey," Oak told her.

"Thank you," she replied. "And thanks for the Pokédex. Can I hook it up to my laptop?"

"Yes, if you have a USB cord."

"Okay. Well, I guess I'll see you later, then. I can transfer Pokémon I catch here, right?"

"Yes. And I'd love to get them."

"Cool. Okay, well, I'll see you guys!"

"I'll walk you out." Tracy opened the door for her. He looked over his shoulder at Oak. "That way, a certain _aide_ won't pick on her."

Oak sighed. "I really need to have a talk with him."

Tracy smiled reassuringly at Belle as he led her out of the Lab.

**To:**dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** How to get in touch!

* * *

Hey girly-girls,

From now on, you guys will have to send me e-mails. I'm going to be on the road, so there won't be a physical address to send any letters to. I'm going to send you guys e-mails too, so CHECK IT OFTEN!!!!! I don't want to be ignored!

Alyssa, you're graduating soon, right? I'd better be invited! Also, you REALLY need to ditch the student e-mail address and get your own.

Cassandra, when's your first Contest? Break a leg! (That's what artsy people say instead of good luck, right?)

Okay, girlies, I need to go on up to Viridian City, so I'll write back later.

Love you both,

Belle


	6. Chapter 5

Cassandra came downstairs to the kitchen quickly. She paused by the window and looked out; it was barely light outside. Good. She grabbed an apple for herself and some Pokémon food for Finny and Swablu, scribbled down a note for her mother, and went out the front door.

Route 117 was usually full of people training for some elusive triathlon that never seemed to happen, but now it was just Cassandra and her Pokémon. She let Finny and Swablu out of their Poké Balls and settled down in the grass to eat her apple. Swablu had taken to perching atop Cassandra's head, making her look as if she was wearing a large, fluffy hat. Finny simply cuddled against her leg as he ate.

"We're going to start training every day around this time," Cassandra announced to them. "Now, even though I've chosen to compete with Swablu, you'll be training just as hard, Finny. I'm going to act as if I'm competing with _both_ of you." She looked down at Finny, almost tipping Swablu off her head. "That way, you two will be at the same level."

Swablu chirruped softly. She had finished her food. Cassandra polished off her apple and checked to make sure that Finny was done before standing up. "Okay, you two. First things first. We're going to review the way you come out of your Poké Balls. Okay?"

She only spent fifteen minutes on this, seeing as they had already worked very hard on it, before she moved on to actual moves.

"Swablu, Astonish! No, do it _gracefully_. Gracefully! While your moves need to be strong, they also need to be beautiful!" She ran her fingers through her hair briefly. "Try it again!"

And they did. Swablu did Astonish so many times, it finally chirruped feebly and fluttered to land on a nearby fence. Cassandra sighed. "I'll work with Finny now, okay? When we get back to you, we'll use Wing Attack. How does that sound?" She fed Swablu a Poké Block and planted a kiss on its head.

"Go, Finny!" She tossed the Poké Ball into the air. Finny leapt out and did a perfect front-flip before landing gracefully on all fours. "Excellent! Now, use Water Gun!"

It was lunchtime before Cassandra called it quits. She carried Finny home in her arms and let Swablu rest on her head. "You two did very good work today," she told them. "I'm so proud of you. If we go on at this rate, we'll blow everyone away at the contest!"

Finny made a happy noise and snuggled into her chest. She giggled and tickled him under his chin. "I love you guys," she said.

* * *

The cook was making lunch in the kitchen when Cassandra came inside. "Hello, Dorothia," she greeted her.

"Welcome back, Miss Cassandra," the cook replied. "What were you doing all this time?"

"Training, of course. My first contest is in three weeks!"

"So soon? Didn't you just sign up yesterday?"

"Dorothia, it is not your place to question my daughter's motives," said a voice from the stairwell. Cassandra's mother, Joanna, descended from the stairs. She wore a lavender dress and a large hat made of white straw with a matching ribbon. "I'm taking Staraptor up to Lilycove to do some shopping. Care to join me, Cassandra?"

"No thank you, Mother," Cassandra replied through gritted teeth.

"I will be back around suppertime. I promised Nancy I would meet her for lunch, otherwise I'd stay until Dorothia was done cooking. She does make some fairly decent dishes. Why don't you come along, dear?"

Cassandra tried hard not to say anything. She hated it when her mother talked as though Dorothia wasn't in the room. Her mother hardly treated Dorothia like a person.

Finny noticed that Cassandra's body had gone rigid and tense, so he sat up in her arms to find the source. Swablu noticed the change as well.

"I need to train some more," Cassandra told her mother. "Surely you can understand that?"

Either Joanna ignored the sarcasm dripping in her daughter's voice or she didn't hear it at all. She nodded and took her large sunglasses out of her purse. "I'll just be going, then. Do well, dear." She turned to leave, but stopped in the doorway and looked over her shoulder. "Cassie dear, why are you wearing those clothes?"

Cassandra looked down. She was wearing a knee-length, pleated pink skirt with white designs tracing up from the hem, and a white peasant blouse to match.

"They're so…_common_." And with that, Joanna swept out the door.

Cassandra moved to the table and allowed Finny to jump out of her arms onto it. She sat down heavily in a chair. Swablu fluttered off her head and perched on the back of the chair next to her.

"I hate it when she calls me Cassie," Cassandra said. "I'm really sorry about her," she added to Dorothia, turning in her chair to address her.

"It's no problem, really, Miss Cassandra." Dorothia poked something in a frying pan with a spatula. "I've been working here for a very long time. I'm used to her. What she says doesn't affect me anymore."

"Is Dad coming home for lunch?"

"He has a business lunch to attend, so no," Dorothia replied.

Cassandra's father was an executive for the Devon Corporation. He was often away on business, but he adored Cassandra. He sent her souvenirs from wherever he happened to be. Once he went on a business trip to Johto and popped in on Belle. He had taken a picture and sent it to Cassandra enclosed with a letter saying he would be bringing Belle home with him. It made him visibly sad when the company sent him away, but he needed to put food on the table.

"So, it'll be just me and you, then!" Cassandra smiled.

"And Finny and Swablu," Dorothia reminded her.

Cassandra patted their heads. "Yeah. As long as Mom's not here, they can eat at the table."

And so Cassandra, Dorothia, Finny, and Swablu all had lunch at Cassandra's large dining room table.

**To: **dingdongbelle

**From: **dancing_through_life

**Subject:** My Contest and Pokémon!

* * *

Belly-Belle,

My contest is in three weeks, thank you for asking. Yes, break a leg is what us "artsy" people say instead of good luck. And I'm a bit upset with you. If you're in Kanto already, that must mean that you have your first Pokémon and YOU DIDN'T TELL US WHAT IT WAS!!!!!

…ahem. Please inform your friends of what Pokémon you have. I started out with Mudkip. His name is Finny. I caught a Swablu, and I didn't nickname her. YOUR TURN!!!

Lovingly angry,

Cassandra


	7. Chapter 6

Alyssa brushed her bangs out of her face as she marked the last answer on her test triumphantly. She gathered all the papers into a pile.

The teacher smiled as Alyssa approached the desk and brought the papers. This was Alyssa's second final exam, and she only had three more—they had scheduled one for each day. She grabbed her messenger bag as she passed back by her desk and left the room. Greg glanced up at her angrily as she passed his seat, but she smiled rather than let him bother her today.

The atmosphere in the hallway was so much less stifling than that of the test room; Alyssa breathed deeply, filling her lungs with non-test-room air. She was free for the rest of the day. She knew she should be studying, but instead she went up to her room and changed into her bathing suit. She had an itch to go to the beach.

Alyssa packed a towel into her mother's old canvas tote bag and slipped on a sundress she never wore. She packed her Styler just in case and headed out, putting on her sunglasses as she went. The sun felt good on her shoulders. The sky stretched above her, amazingly blue, with only light, wispy clouds. It felt so good to be out.

She pointed herself in the direction of Vientown. It wasn't a long walk to get there, but it was the beach to the west that she was headed for. Her trek took her past the Vientown Ranger Base, and she paused in her walk to look at it. It was a round building; that alone had always attracted her to it, even as a child. She would tug on her father's hand and point at it as they passed, saying, "Look, Daddy, that one's shaped like a _circle_! All the other ones have corners!" Inside were Pokémon Rangers doing good work to help people. She sighed happily.

The door opened and startled her. A Ranger stepped out. He couldn't have been that much older than her; he had dark brown hair and slightly tanned skin. His Ranger uniform fit him well. He was at least a head taller than she was, and he looked so dashing as he placed a hand on his hip and looked around.

He spotted Alyssa. She blushed furiously, embarrassed, as he walked over and offered her a hand. "Hello. Do you need some assistance?"

"Oh—uh—no," she said quickly. "I was…just…" But words failed her, and she couldn't tell him what she was just doing.

"Where are you going?" he asked. God, he was handsome. He smiled, revealing a huge dimple. Alyssa almost swooned; he had such a gentle look in his eyes.

"The beach," she said finally. "I'm going to the beach."

"You look awfully familiar," he told her. He put his fingertips on his chin and tapped them thoughtfully. "Hey, wait…you look about sixteen. Shouldn't you be at school?"

"I go to the Ranger School. It's final exam week, and—"

"The Ranger School!" He snapped his fingers. "I graduated last year, so I know all about final exam week. Of course. That hair…" He reached out and pulled the sunglasses off her face. Alyssa stiffened as he did so. "You're Alyssa Thompson! I didn't recognize you without the uniform!"

Alyssa blinked in the sunshine. This extremely handsome boy _knew her name_? She really needed to start paying attention to who knew her. He grinned broadly down at her as she tried to remember him.

"You probably don't recognize me," he said. "Last year about this time, I was running to make it to an exam and I dropped my bag, and all my papers went everywhere. Everyone was rushing to their class, but you stopped to help me get all my papers. I'm Ian Walton. I, uh, wore glasses back then." He put his thumb and index finger together to make a circle and held them up to his face. "And I was a lot shorter."

And then it clicked. Alyssa remembered handing some papers to a scrawny-looking kid half her size. They did, indeed, have the name Ian scrawled across the top in untidy handwriting. She had thought he was a freshman. "I _do_ remember you…I thought you were a freshman."

He laughed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I was little."

"Wait—did you say your last name was _Walton_?"

"Yeah."

"You wouldn't happen to have a younger brother, would you?" Alyssa pulled the tote bag off her shoulder and set it on the ground beside her. Walton was Greg's last name.

"Yeah, I do. Greg. You should know him. He's always complaining that you're the top of the class, and he's only number two." Ian laughed appreciatively. "I don't know why he's so worked up. It's not like he's living in my shadow or anything; I wasn't top of my class, either. I was more into video games than studying, but I had a strange knack with Pokémon. I wanted to be a Ranger so bad. Greg only wants to be a Ranger for the money." His face darkened. "I guess there's a few people like that, but…I just wish I could talk him out of it."

"Greg wants to be a _Ranger_?" Alyssa shook her head. "I never knew. He seems more like the Operator type."

Ian laughed. "He does, doesn't he? Hey, listen…I have some down time right now. Can I walk with you to the beach? We can reminisce about old times that we never shared."

"Sure!" Alyssa grabbed her tote bag, but Ian beat her to it.

"I'll get that for you. Oh—here." He handed her sunglasses back to her, and she smiled as she put them on.

They walked to the beach, talking and laughing. When they arrived, Alyssa spread out her towel and they sat together on the sand.

"It's really nice seeing you again," Ian told her.

"It's nice seeing you too," she replied. _It would be nice to see you anywhere,_ she thought.

He laughed. "Yeah, but you didn't have a crush on me for a year."

Alyssa blinked. "What?"

Ian was blushing, and he leaned back on his hands and looked up at the sky. "Everyone knew about you, Alyssa. You're smart, really friendly, and very beautiful. People who would start out being jealous of you would end up really liking you. I saw you in the hallway every day, and once I saw you capture a little girl's runaway Skitty and give it back to her. You smiled at her so comfortingly and acted so surprised and happy when she gave you a hug…" Ian smiled and looked over at her.

Alyssa blushed fiercely and looked down at her ankles. He had called her _very beautiful_, and that had only been the beginning of his compliments. She remembered that little girl's Skitty. It hadn't been especially tough. She had thought no one had known; the little girl had wandered onto the grounds looking for the Skitty, and she would have gotten in trouble if anyone had found out.

"I had a _huge_ crush on you from that moment on," he said, and then he laughed. "But you never noticed me. I guess that happens. Now I'm a Ranger, and I'm really happy! You're becoming a Ranger too, right?"

"Of course!" Alyssa replied, happy that the conversation had turned lighter. "I love Pokémon, and I love helping people!"

"Well, hopefully you'll get stationed in Vientown with me. Usually they try to station people close to their hometowns…where's yours?"

"Chicole Village."

"Ah, so you probably will get stationed in Vientown."

"I have a friend who lives in Pueltown…does that mean she'll get stationed there?"

"Probably. That's what they try to do, unless the person requests otherwise." Ian stretched. "What's your friend's na—"

Just then, a Zigzagoon came crashing through the underbrush near Marine Cave and scrambled across the beach, a scared look in its eyes. A rather large Krabby was chasing it, clicking its claws threateningly as it went. Ian leapt to his feet, pulling out his Styler as he went.

The Krabby waved its claws around angrily when it saw Ian step into its path. Alyssa sat up on her knees as the Zigzagoon rushed around to cower behind her, pushing its warm body against her back. It trembled pitifully. She tried to turn around to pet it, but it backed away from her hand. "I don't want to hurt you," she told it, but it wouldn't listen; it whimpered and backed away from her, towards the water. Hoping to calm it down, Alyssa pulled her Styler out of her tote bag and proceeded to use it. She captured Zigzagoon easily, and it cuddled up to her happily as she stroked its head.

"Good work," Ian said, walking up to her. The Krabby followed behind placidly. "I'm going to go see what upset this Krabby so much. You stay here with that Zigzagoon."

He turned to walk away and Alyssa crooned over the Zigzagoon until he got back, this time without Krabby. "Apparently Zigzagoon over there accidentally got too close to Krabby's nest. I saw the tracks. The Krabby got angry and chased it away. How's it doing?"

"Just fine," Alyssa replied. "He didn't mean any harm, did you, Ziggy-pie?" She scratched him lovingly.

"They sure are funny Pokémon," Ian said, putting his hands in his pockets. "He seems pretty attached to you already."

"Oh, he's just grateful." Alyssa kissed the Pokémon between the ears.

"Yeah, that's how it starts. The next thing you know, they're your Partner Pokémon."

Alyssa looked up at him, astonished. Did he really think that this Zigzagoon would want to be her Partner Pokémon? "Hey…what's your Partner Pokémon? And where is he?"

"Oh, I have a Prinplup. He's taking a nap at the base. I met him as a Piplup, all alone and abandoned near Puel Harbor, being terrorized by an Elekid. He started following me around, and the next thing you know…he's my partner." Ian shrugged. "It's that random." A beeping sound issued from his Styler. "Oh—excuse me, hold on." He picked it up and examined it before giving a tired sigh. "I've got to get back to the base."

"I'll walk with you!" Alyssa said brightly, jumping up. She folded up the towel and pushed it down into her bag.

"Oh, but you didn't even get to swim."

"It's okay!" Alyssa threw her bag over her shoulder and leaned down to pet Zigzagoon good-bye. "I have to go back to school now, okay? See you later!" She turned and walked off the beach with Ian. Zigzagoon scurried off into the bushes, but two beady black eyes watched her as she left.

**To: **dancing_through_life, dingdongbelle

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject: **SQUEE!!

* * *

Oh my God, you guys!!!!!

You know I don't normally send e-mails to both of you at once, but OMG I have to tell you guys something!!

I MET A TOTAL HOTTIE TODAY!!!!

His name is Ian. I've met him before, but he was really scrawny and little then. He's a Ranger stationed in Vientown, and he graduated LAST YEAR!! And get this…drumroll, please…he said he had a crush on me for a year!! O! M! G! He is sooooo hot, and I don't mean kinda hot, I mean REALLY hot, like a thousand-white-hot-suns hot. Hopefully I get stationed in Vientown so I can get his crush going again! Ooohhh boy!

Oh, and another small, trivial piece of information that means nothing to you two, I'm sure…my graduation is the second Saturday of next month. That is one week before your contest, Cassandra, so I'm SURE you can make some time to stay for a while. HM? HM?

I'm expecting you two to stay with me for a while, so DON'T DISAPPOINT ME!!

Love your totally obsessed Ian-lover,

Alyssa

P.S. Belle, I think my student email is just _fine_, thank you. It works, doesn't it?!?!


	8. Chapter 7

Cassandra swept her hair out of her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, squinting up into the sky. Swablu was going through a difficult series of turns and loops. Since her last week before the contest was going to be spent in Almia with Alyssa, she was working extra hard.

"Good, Swablu!" she cried. "Very graceful!" Swablu chirruped happily and continued its work. It was almost time to start putting her own moves with her Pokémon's. In the morning, Cassandra worked on their moves. After lunch, she went into the backyard and worked on her moves. It was only fair. She let Finny and Swablu out of their Poké Balls to watch her dance and plan, plan and dance.

"Cassandra!" called a voice. She turned to see her mother astride a Manectric, which Cassandra was quite sure belonged to Dorothia. It was scowling unpleasantly at its task. Cassandra didn't blame it one bit.

"Yes, Mother?"

"Whatever are you doing out here every morning, Cassandra?"

"I'm training for my contest. It's in two weeks, Mother."

"Oh, yes, your contest…don't be too upset if you don't win, darling." Joanna slid off the Manectric. "I've seen you dancing, and you're not that good."

Cassandra's hands balled into fists. "Is that all you came for, Mother?"

"No. Dorothia says you got some electronic mail this morning from your Almia friend." Cassandra gritted her teeth and tried hard not to roll her eyes. Why couldn't her mother just say _e-mail_ like a normal person? "She says that the girl is graduating from her school, and she wants you to go."

"Yes, Mother."

"Do you _want_ to go?" Joanna said this as if Cassandra couldn't possibly want to go.

"Yes, Mother, I do. She is my friend. I'm very happy that she's graduating. She's worked very hard."

"And how do you plan on going?"

"I was going to ask Dad—I mean, Father, for some spending money, and I was going to borrow Staraptor."

Joanna scoffed. "Without asking? If you want to go to Almia, darling, you need to get your own transportation there. I am going to need Staraptor that week."

"I can send him _back_," Cassandra said. "I was just going to keep him overnight to rest, and then I was going to send him back."

"And you would expect him to come and collect you at the end of your stay?" Joanna asked her, placing a hand on her hip.

"_Yes_. Is that so difficult?" Rage was building up inside Cassandra, so she had to be very careful. She had a tendency of exploding when she got angry.

Joanna opened her mouth to speak, but a great barking sound drowned out whatever it was she was going to say. Cassandra whipped around to find the source of the noise and saw a Poochyena, running wildly from an Illumise and a Volbeat, both of which seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Poochyena, however, looked terrified. The Volbeat charged the Poochyena from behind while the Illumise circled around to the front, swooping down on it. The little dog-like Pokémon froze for a moment before darting off to the side. Illumise used a move; it looked like Leech Life.

"Aren't Dark-types weak against Bug-types?" Joanna asked nonchalantly.

Cassandra sucked in a breath. It was true; Bug was strong against Dark. Now Volbeat was using Leech Life as well; they both continuously shot the move at the running Poochyena. Finally, the little puppy Pokémon stopped in its tracks and turned, barking angrily. It began to use counter-attacks, but they did little damage if they even hit at all. Still, Poochyena was spunky.

"Cassandra, you may not use Staraptor to visit your friend in Almia. I need it that day. Nancy and I planned a shopping trip in Lilycove."

"Don't you ever get tired of squandering your family's money?" Cassandra snapped angrily, not taking her eyes off the Poochyena. It was growing weaker; just a little while now and it would faint. Joanna's parents were very rich; they were in the mining business. They lived in a mansion in some obscure part of the Sinnoh region. While Cassandra's father really raked in the dough as an executive, the majority of the family's money came from Joanna's parents.

"Cassandra."

She gulped. She had gone too far.

"It would serve you well to remember who is the parent around here. Your father is coming home tonight; I will speak to him then."

Cassandra looked over her shoulder as Joanna mounted the Manectric. It turned and walked back toward Verdanturf Town.

There was a great cry; Cassandra looked back and saw that Poochyena had fainted. The Volbeat and Illumise, however, were not flying away; they continued to use Leech Life on the unconscious Pokémon, giggling in their buggy way. Cassandra's rage built up again and she ran toward them, not quite thinking things through. "Hey!" she yelled. "Get away from it! Get away!"

The Illumise and Volbeat hovered uncertainly. They watched her for a while as she ran toward them, waving her hands.

And then they attacked.

Volbeat swooped down angrily and caught her in the side of the head, almost knocking her to the ground. Illumise shot Leech Life at her, which she dodged. "Swablu!" Cassandra yelled. "Swablu, help me!"

Swablu came hurtling out of the sky. She crashed her wing into Illumise, making it faint instantly, before turning in a graceful arc toward Volbeat. She used Astonish, making Volbeat flinch, and then used Wing Attack again to finish it off. Cassandra leaned forward, placing her hands on her knees and panting. "Thanks so much, Swablu," she said. "Do me a favor…can you go grab my bag for me?"

Swablu grabbed the strap of Cassandra's messenger bag in her mouth and brought it over. Cassandra dug through it to retrieve a Poké Ball, which she used to catch Poochyena. She then turned toward the Volbeat and Illumise. "I suppose I should take them to the Pokémon Center too, huh?"

"Bravo! That was _wonderful_!"

Cassandra blinked and looked up. The woman from the contest building was running towards her. "That was magnificent! However did you pull that off? Oh, my!"

The woman stopped in front of Cassandra, panting and brushing her hair off her face. "You're Cassandra, right? Joanna's daughter? I got here just as you were calling for Swablu; that was _magnificent_! Oh, my! You certainly have been working hard!"

"Thank you," Cassandra replied, elated.

"Swablu was a thing of beauty! Powerful _and_ graceful!"

"Thanks so much! Listen, since you're here, you think you could help me?" She gestured towards the unconscious forms of Volbeat and Illumise.

"Oh—certainly."

Cassandra lifted Volbeat as the woman picked up Illumise. All the way to the Pokémon Center, she jabbered on about how _magnificent_ and _wonderful_ Swablu had been, which for the first five minutes made Cassandra feel incredibly happy and accomplished; after that, it was very annoying. She was happy to say good-bye to her when she got inside the Pokémon Center.

Nurse Joy came around the counter, frowning. "What happened?"

"Well, I also have a Poochyena with me that's hurt pretty bad…" Cassandra told Nurse Joy the story as she helped her bring the two wild Bug Pokémon to the back room.

"That's terrible," Joy said, arranging Volbeat on a bed. "Yes, just put that Illumise over there—thank you. It sounds as though these two were just bullies. I've gotten a lot of hurt Pokémon in here because of these two. It's good someone finally taught them a lesson. Where's the Poochyena?"

Cassandra pulled the Poké Ball out and let Poochyena out of it; it appeared on the floor, sprawled out and bleeding slightly. Nurse Joy swooped down on it immediately, picking it up and taking it further back. "Chansey!" she called. "Chansey, I'm going to need your assistance!"

"How bad is it?" Cassandra asked, tripping after her.

"It's bad. If you had let it go on much longer, they would have killed this poor Pokémon."

_Killed?_ Cassandra thought as Nurse Joy laid Poochyena on a special bed.

"I'm terribly sorry, but you'll need to wait in the lobby. I can't have you back here."

Cassandra blinked as Nurse Joy shut the door in her face. She left the back room and went to the lobby, settling in a plastic chair to wait. She was very worried now. Would that poor Poochyena…_die_? What had been stopping her from rescuing it sooner? What would it have mattered if her mother had gotten even angrier at her? Why didn't she just interrupt her mother to rescue that poor Pokémon?

Cassandra buried her face in her hands, and Swablu rested comfortingly on her back. If that Pokémon died, it would be her fault.

_Dear Alyssa,_

_I'm sitting in a Pokémon Center right now, waiting for Nurse Joy to say that the Poochyena I rescued is okay. Two Bug Pokémon were bullying it. I caught it and brought it here. I feel just terrible…Nurse Joy said that it's near death. I can't believe I didn't come to its rescue sooner. I was fighting with my mom at the time, and she said that I can't use Staraptor, that I'll have to find some other way to get to Almia. But don't worry! I'll get to your graduation! I'll be able to stay with your parents for the week, right? If I can't, I'll have to start researching hotels ASAP._

_Well, I can't bear to think about anything other than Poochyena right now, so I'll finish this letter off. Sorry for all the bad news all at once…_

_Sorrowfully yours,_

_Cassandra_

* * *

_Thanks to my reviewers:_

_**silentlysnowing **(Thanks so much for your praise!)_

_**Bronze Barometer **(Yes, the Wicked reference is intentional. ^_^ Thanks for noticing!!)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Apart from having an AWESOME name, you also gave me a good review. So thank you!!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Ahh, we meet again, Caigus. Joanna is quite the little bitch, isn't she?)_

_Thanks to all you guys!!_


	9. Chapter 8

_You guys have all been so good, I'm giving you Chapter 8 early!!_

* * *

Belle blinked and reached up to rubbed her eyes. Charmy lay curled in a ball on her stomach, his tail positioned carefully so it wouldn't burn her. He was still asleep. Trying not to wake him, Belle shifted until she was in a sitting position and Charmy was slumbering peacefully in her lap.

On her way to Viridian City, Belle had caught a Pidgey, which she had nicknamed Swifter for no good reason. She just liked the sound of the name. Now she sat inside her sleeping bag on a plastic couch in the Viridian City Pokémon Center.

By the looks of the light streaming through the window, it was morning. Belle yawned. She needed to get moving. She had heard that Mankey could be found on the way to Indigo Plateau, and she really needed a type of Pokémon that was strong against Rock Type. But first, she needed a shower.

"Charmy? Charmy…good morning!"

The Charmander sat up and yawned, stretching his tiny little arms. Belle giggled and stroked his head. "I need to go take a shower, okay? I'm putting you in the Poké Ball."

Charmy nodded, so Belle returned him to the Poké Ball and packed up her sleeping bag, stuffing it into her messenger bag. She pulled out the things she needed for a shower and walked over to the counter.

"Hey, Nurse Joy! Can you watch my stuff for me? I need to use the shower."

"No problem, Belle." Nurse Joy took Belle's bag and put it safely behind the counter. "Are you leaving this morning?"

"Yeah, I suppose so." Belle had spent two days in Viridian, trying to figure out how she would be getting to Almia. She had it figured out; she would head to Saffron City, take the train to Goldenrod City in Johto, and then borrow her mother's Skarmory. She had two weeks to get to Almia, so she figured she had time to defeat the Gym Leaders in Pewter City and Cerulean City on her way through.

After her shower, Belle packed everything up, said good-bye to Nurse Joy, stopped in at the PokéMart to buy a few things, and headed off to catch a Mankey, her ball cap tucked over her wet hair. It was a short trek to the area where Mankey had been seen. She found one almost immediately and sent Swifter out to take care of it.

It wasn't long before Belle tossed a Poké Ball and caught the Mankey, much to its displeasure. She had to try three times before it finally succumbed. With her new Mankey in tow, she made her way to the Viridian Forest.

* * *

"Half a day!" Belle said, throwing her free hand into the air. "Half a day I spend wandering in that godforsaken forest, and what do I get? A freakin' bump on the head, that's what!"

"I'm so sorry!" the boy next to her cried. He kept trying to support her, but she kept waving him away. "I didn't mean to!"

The boy in question had come bursting unexpectedly out of the bushes near Belle just as she had gotten out of the forest, making her jump back in surprise and trip over Mankey. She had tumbled backwards, but she managed to grab a low-hanging branch and keep herself from falling all the way. Mankey, who had grown attached to her over the trip, had scrambled to help her, but she had just ended up tripping over him again and banging her forehead onto a rock on the ground. Now she had a cut and it was bleeding profusely. The boy had offered her a wad of tissues, which she was now pressing against the cut.

"I really am sorry," he told her.

"It's fine, really. Just...go. I'll be okay."

"No, I'm going to go with you to the Pokémon Center," he said, reaching for her elbow. She jerked it out of his grasp. "Let me help you a little!"

"You've helped enough. Thanks for the tissues." Belle increased her speed, walking past him up the path toward Pewter City.

"I won't accept that." The boy was beside her again. "I need to make it up to you! Let me get my Squirtle to help you wash your face."

"_No_," she said exasperatedly. "I will wash my face when I get to the Pokémon Center. Just let me go alone!"

"We're both going to the Pokémon Center," he pointed out. "I'll just go with you there. And anyway, it's getting dark. You shouldn't be alone."

"What's going to happen to me? Is somebody gonna jump out of the bushes and scare me and make me trip and hit my head—oh, but wait! _That's already happened_!"

"I'm _sorry_!"

They carried on in a similar manner until they reached the Pokémon Center, where they entered, still bickering. Nurse Joy looked up from the counter as they entered, but none of the other Trainers paid them any heed. There was a low buzz of conversation around them.

"What happened to you?" Joy asked kindly as they approached the counter, eyeing Belle.

"This idiot jumped out of the bushes and made me fall and hit my head on a rock!"

"I told you, I'm _sorry_."

"Why did you jump out of the bushes?"

The boy sighed. "I thought I heard a weird noise and I got spooked, okay?" He looked slightly ashamed.

Joy nodded, but Belle snickered. "Okay, then. You must be Belle," she added to Belle. "My sister in Viridian called and told me to watch out for you. She was worried about you going through the forest."

"Well, you can call and tell her that I've hit my head."

"I'm _sorry_."

"Well, come to the back and wash your face," Joy told her, ignoring the boy, "and I'll take a look at that cut. Chansey! Watch the lobby for me, please."

Belle followed Joy, pressing the tissues against her forehead. Joy took her to a private bathroom first and allowed her to enter. She actually looked quite gory; a line of dried, caked blood ran from the cut toward the side of her eye and down her cheek, and dried blood surrounded the cut itself as well. It was still bleeding, too. Now that she examined the cut, it wasn't a cut at all—it was more like a gash, extending diagonally from the center of her left eyebrow to her hairline. At least her bangs could hide it, since it leaned toward her left ear.

When Belle came out, Joy directed her to a seat and the boy drifted after her, holding a tray full of medical supplies. "What are _you_ doing back here?" she snapped at him.

"I need to make this up to you," he told her.

"That's going to need stitches," Joy said. "And he's quite useful. I have to make Chansey watch the front, after all."

Belle sighed. "Fine." As Joy prepped her for stitching, she eyed the boy. He was about her age. He had untidy blonde hair and a slightly pale complexion. Although he had a slight build, Belle could see wiry muscles tracing his upper arm before his short-sleeved shirt blocked her view. "I'm Belle, by the way," she told him as Joy picked up the needle and special surgical thread.

"Derrick," he replied.

"How do you spell that? Ow!"

"Uh, D-E-R-R-I-C-K. Why? How do you spell your name?"

Belle rolled her eyes. "B-E-L-L-E, but I was asking because I have a little brother named Derek. He spells it D-E-R-E-K."

"Oh. I just thought it was your weird way of committing people's names to memory or something."

Belle rolled her eyes again. "So how old are you?"

"Sixteen," Derrick replied. "Just started out. You?"

"I'm sixteen too. I just started. Did you know it used to be legal to start when you were ten?" A few years after her father had started, a law had been passed increasing the age limit to sixteen—this was due to several ten-year-olds lying dead or severely battered by wild Pokémon.

"What Pokémon do you have with you? All I saw was a Mankey."

"I started out with Charmander, nicknamed Charmy. Other than him, I have Mankey and a Pidgey named Swifter. What about you?"

"I started out with Squirtle, and I have a male Nidoran and a Pikachu."

"Pikachu? How'd you get one of those?"

"You can find them in the forest." Derrick looked slightly proud of himself.

"Did you nickname them?"

"No. I'm not so good at nicknames."

Belle laughed appreciatively. "Hey, it's really okay about this whole thing."

"Really? You forgive me?"

"Well, maybe I don't forgive you, but it's okay for right now."

Derrick laughed. "That's good enough, I guess."

Belle smiled. Joy finished up the stitches expertly. "Okay, you're done!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Belle slid off her seat and stretched. "It's been a long day. I'm ready for some sleep."

"You want to get some coffee or something first?" Derrick asked.

"Coffee? Before I sleep?"

"Ice cream, then?"

"Sure, why not. You're paying."

"Of course."

* * *

**To: **thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject: **I'M COMING I'M COMING I'M COMING!!!

* * *

HEY ALYSSAAAAAAAAA!!

First off, congrats about graduating! w00t!! And second off, congrats about meeting the HOTTIE!! I just met a boy today, but he's more like a pest than a potential boyfriend. He jumped out of the bushes and scared the crap out of me, so I tripped and fell and cut my head on a rock and had to get stitches. My Pokémon Journey is going GREAT!!! Oh yeah, I forgot—I started out with Charmander, nicknamed Charmy, I caught a Pidgey, nicknamed Swifter, and I caught a Mankey. Noooo idea what to nickname the Mankey, so I'm just calling him Mankey. But don't tell Cassandra yet. I want to tell her myself!

Okay, now down to business—am I going to have a place to stay when I get to Almia? It's gonna suck REALLY BAD if I get there and I'm all homeless. I know how I'm getting there, so that's no big deal, but…y'know. I'll need a place to sleep. Sleep is important. Yosh.

Well, I really need to get to sleep now…I have a big day tomorrow, because I am CHALLENGING MY FIRST GYM!!! That's right! I'll send both you and Cassandra an email later telling you how it goes!!!

Excitedly yours,

Belle

* * *

_I got a landslide of reviews __(which, in Mav Tails language, means 6), so I decided to give you Chapter 8 early. Thanks to the reviewers:_

_**Bronze Barometer **(Thanks for your kind words...and don't be hard on yourself! You are a reviewer, so your opinion DOES matter to me!!! Lots!!! On a side note, your name is very interesting.)_

_**TheAverageFan **(Thank you so much. Hope I've made you happeh with this chapter!)_

_**silentlysnowing **(Thanks for the constructive criticism! I didn't find it very negative...I rather thought you were nice. XD)_

_**Magnificent Castle Windrider **(Now there's a name that's interesting. XD Thanks for the review!!)_

_**Augustine May **(I'm so glad that you like the story! I've actually had one of my friends tell me that Belle is their favorite, too. XD)_

_Well, Caigus of the White Lions didn't review. Maybe he didn't have time. Missed your review!!_

_Thanks everyone!!_


	10. Chapter 9

Alyssa rubbed her eyes. She was so sick of studying she didn't know what to do. She kept reminding herself that there was only one test left, but for some reason that didn't cheer her up.

The desk lamp cast a glow over her textbook, but the rest of the room was dark. The sounds of Casey's deep breathing were issuing forth from under the covers, along with the gentle snores of Miranda, one of their other roommates. Casey and Alyssa had bunk beds on one side of the room, while Miranda and Windy had bunk beds on the other side. Alyssa had the top bunk because Casey was afraid of heights. Sure, she may have banged her head into the ceiling once or twice—or a million times—but Casey couldn't help her phobia.

Alyssa pushed her chair back. She felt suddenly claustrophobic—she wanted to get outside. She grabbed her Styler and her room key before slipping quietly out the door in her nightgown.

The hallways were dark and silent. Her bare feet made no sound on the floor as she passed through the spacious lobby, heading toward the glass entrance doors. Once she had them open she breathed in deeply and happily, stepping out onto the entryway. The night air was chilly; she wrapped her arms around herself as she stepped off the entryway and onto the front path. She didn't particularly feel like leaving the school grounds; instead, she pointed herself east and walked across the front yard of the school, heading toward a large flight of stairs built into a cliff. She descended it and walked over to where the water flowed gently alongside the cliff, passing by the statue onto which graduates etched their hopes and dreams. A cargo ship had once crashed here, and they had never gotten around to fixing the fence. She settled herself to sit on the edge, dangling her feet out over the water. A breeze played with the ends of her hair.

"What are you doing?"

She started and quickly scrambled to her feet, trying to ready an excuse. Instead of a teacher, however, she saw Ian, looking handsome as ever in his Ranger uniform, hands tucked into his pockets as the moonlight washed over him. A Prinplup stood behind him.

"Oh, Ian…it's you." She put a hand on her heart and smiled. "I was afraid it was a teacher or something." She sat back down the way she had been. "How'd you get in here, anyway?"

Ian lowered himself carefully to sit beside her. He tucked his heels onto some rocks and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his legs and lacing his fingers together, watching his hands. Prinplup wandered around, checking out the nighttime Pokémon that played around the school grounds. "I scaled the wall."

"Wasn't that hard?"

He shrugged. He seemed subdued.

"Why did you come here?"

Ian looked up at the stars without moving the rest of his body. "I come here to think." He dropped his head again. "Everything was so innocent here. I feel like my thoughts are clearer when I'm dealing with them here."

Alyssa looked over at him. Something was troubling him, all right…but what was it? "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

Silence stretched between them. "Nothing you need to worry about right now." He bent lower and began removing his shoes. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Probably. I have my last exam tomorrow. But I just felt so…_enclosed_ in that tiny space of a room. I needed to get out here, where it's bigger."

"I know what you mean. What was that?" he snapped, twisting around. Prinplup made a reassuring noise and gestured with its flipper toward a Zigzagoon. Alyssa blinked.

"Wait…_Ziggy_?" she said incredulously. The Pokémon made a noise of glee and rushed over to her, climbing into her lap and snuggling up. It was the same Zigzagoon she had met on the beach two days ago.

"It's following you around," Ian said. "That's the second step."

"I can't make you my Partner Pokémon yet," Alyssa told it. "You'll have to wait until I become a full-blown Ranger."

"It's asleep."

Alyssa sighed. Sure enough, the little thing was slumbering peacefully in her lap. She scratched between its ears.

The two sat there for a while longer, a Ranger and a Ranger Student, both looking up at the stars and contemplating their own thoughts. After a while, Alyssa sighed and stood up, scooping Zigzagoon up with her. "I've got to get to bed," she told Ian. "Can you take care of Ziggy for me?" She bent and placed the Pokémon in his lap. Ian gently stroked its head and nodded before looking up at her.

Suddenly Alyssa was very aware that she hadn't brushed her hair and that she was wearing a nightgown. She crossed her arms and hugged herself. "Well, hope I'll see you soon."

"Are you cold?"

"What? Oh—a little, but it's no big deal."

Ian shifted Zigzagoon to the ground beside him and stood up, removing his long-sleeved Ranger jacket and wrapping it instead around her. Most Rangers had short-sleeved jackets. She wondered vaguely why his was different, but mostly she felt ecstatic that he was so close to her and touching her shoulders.

"Feel better?"

"So much," Alyssa replied softly.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to be cold."

"Hm? Oh, right—cold. Yeah. I was cold." She smiled. "Well, I guess I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Right."

And Alyssa turned and walked off. When she got to her room, she fell asleep using Ian's jacket as a blanket.

**To: **dingdongbelle, dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** Place to stay!

Hey guys,

I called my parents and they said you can stay there for the week. It's in two weeks, you guys. I'd better be seeing you! It's in the morning, remember!

Sorry I can't have a longer email, but I've GOT to study. ONE MORE TEST TO GO!!!

Love,

Alyssa

P.S. Hey Cassandra. I know about Belle's Pokémon already. XP

* * *

_Thanks to all my reviewers:_

_**Bronze Barometer** (Yes, those two lines together were on purpose. I'm so glad I made you laugh!! XD)_

_**Augustine May** (You're welcome for the chapter!! The gym chapter is coming up!)_

_**silentlysnowing **(You're right, it did seem a little forced, didn't it? T_T But it was the only place I could put it where it wasn't completely out-of-the-blue. A lot of people have said that Belle is their favorite...hmmm...)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Yes, cranky Belle is cranky. The reason for the Poochyena almost dying is that I'm trying to get into the more realistic (lol, realistic Pokemon!) side of Pokemon, the darker part. It gets worse, so...if you want to stop reading (PLEASE DON'T!!!) you can.)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Yeah, it is ridiculous to travel at 10 in a place full of wild, untamed creatures. Thanks for reviewing!! XD)_


	11. Chapter 10

"I _thought_ you were just going to the Pokémon Center with me."

"Well, we're both going to the gym, right? Why not go together?"

"You're stalking me."

"I'm not _stalking_ you."

"Waiting by my sleeping bag for me to wake up? Stalking!"

"You're overreacting."

"You're stalking."

Belle stomped her feet slightly as she made her way towards the Pewter City Gym, Derrick following close behind. She hadn't been able to shake him off. He was like a lost little Poochyena or something.

"How are your stitches feeling?"

And it didn't help that he kept asking her that. "_Fine_," she replied. "Absolutely _fine_. And for the next time you ask? FINE!"

"You don't have to yell."

Belle turned off toward the PokéMart, making Derrick turn sharply. "Hey, hey, where are you going?"

"The PokéMart. You're going to the gym, right? Just go on ahead!"

"Nope. I'm coming with you."

"_Stalker_!"

He sighed and refused to reply to anything else she said. He simply followed her around the PokéMart, ignoring her complaints even when she began ordering him to stop following her and go away. Finally they arrived at the Pewter City Gym together. Derrick opened the door for her and gestured for her to go in before he did.

The gym was dark. The only illumination was the small beam of sunlight slashing in through the open door, but this disappeared as Derrick stepped in and allowed the large door to shut behind him, throwing both of them into total darkness.

"Hello?" Belle called uncertainly, her voice more high-pitched than usual. It floated back to her on an echo, squeaky and hardly sounding as if it were hers. _Hello? Hello? Hello?_

"Who comes to challenge Flint, the Pewter City Gym Leader?"

Several stadium lights flashed on, momentarily dazzling Belle so that she had to lift up her hand to shade her eyes. The gym floor was the color of dirt, and rocks jutted up from it in random locations. Across the floor on a small platform stood Flint, his arms crossed as he glowered out at them both.

"My name is Belle," Belle said, trying to sound braver than she felt. "I came to fight for my Boulder Badge."

Flint gestured toward the platform on Belle's side of the gym. "Step up."

She did so, feeling incredibly nervous. Derrick went around the floor and sat himself on the bleachers to watch. "Good luck," he whispered to her as he passed. Suddenly Belle was extremely grateful that he had insisted on following her.

A referee seemed to appear out of nowhere, holding a red flag in one hand and a green flag in the other. "This will be a two-Pokémon match," he said, his voice booming. "Switching out is permitted between battles only. Gym Leader ready?"

"Yes," Flint said confidently, pulling a Poké Ball out of his pocket.

"Challenger ready?"

"Yes," Belle replied. She clutched Mankey's Poké Ball in both hands.

"Begin!"

"Go, Geodude!" Flint cried, throwing his Ball. Geodude popped out of it, hands balled into tight fists.

"Let's go, Mankey!" Belle threw the Ball. Mankey leapt out.

"Geodude versus Mankey! Let the battle begin!"

Using a few Fighting-type moves, Mankey defeated Geodude easily. Belle found herself wondering, however, how the Pokémon levitated above the ground. It was a freakin' _rock_, for crying out loud. She also realized, as the referee proclaimed Geodude "unable to battle" and Flint withdrew it, that this was the first time she had been in an actual Trainer battle. The thought made her hands tremble.

"Onix!"

"Onix versus Mankey! Let the battle begin!"

"Onix, use Iron Tail!"

Belle came to her senses in enough time to yell, "Dodge it, Mankey! Use Karate Chop!" Mankey leapt onto a nearby rock as the giant rock-snake's tail came crashing down on the spot he had been in just moments before. The Pokémon powered itself from the rock and onto Onix's head, chopping it right between the eyes. "Hang onto its…I dunno…head-spike thingy!" Belle cried. Mankey did as it was told, swinging itself up to stand on it.

"Shake it off, Onix!" Flint yelled.

"Hang on, Mankey! Karate Chop! Again!" Belle balled her hands into fists. She was feeling more confident, and she had worked out a strategy. That Onix was way too big for Mankey to handle on the ground, but if they just concentrated on Onix's face and head…well, they just might win this. And anyway, Onix was making itself dizzy. This made it that much easier for Mankey to win.

Onix shook its head as Mankey repeatedly Karate Chopped it, disorienting itself as Mankey rained blows down. Flint seemed to catch on to what was happening. "Onix, stop shaking!"

"Bend your knees and hold on, Mankey! Brace yourself on the spike!" Belle shouted out. "Don't stop Chopping!" She smirked across at Flint, who looked furious. Mankey had kept is balance on Onix's head; she knew that Flint had hoped that when the shaking stopped abruptly, Mankey would be dislodged.

Onix was drooping visibly. Belle rubbed her hands together. "Let's finish it off, Mankey! Seismic Toss!"

"Onix—!" But before Flint could shout a command, Mankey had grabbed Onix's aptly named "head-spike thingy" and leapt off its head, swinging Onix up above him and in a huge arc before letting go, sending the Pokémon to the ground. Its head crashed into one of the giant rocks jutting up. The rock shattered magnificently and Onix's body lay crumpled on the ground. Mankey landed heavily nearby, shrieking and waving its arms in the air victoriously.

"Onix is unable to battle!" the referee yelled. "Challenger wins!" He swung the hand holding the red flag up in the air.

Flint returned Onix to its Poké Ball. Belle held her arms out to Mankey, who jumped up onto her platform and allowed her to hug him. Flint walked the distance of the gym floor to Belle. She leapt of the platform and stood before him, holding Mankey still.

"Belle, is it?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir."

"I'd like to present you with this Boulder Badge. You fought well. Is this your first gym challenge?"

"Actually, sir, it's my first Trainer Battle." Belle set Mankey down and took the badge from Flint, admiring it.

"Your first…wow. Belle, I think you really are cut out to be a Trainer."

Belle looked up at him, eyes wide. "Really?"

"Yes. You fought magnificently, especially for your first Trainer Battle. Keep going with your instincts…they'll serve you well."

Belle floated back to the Pokémon Center on a cloud.

* * *

To:dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

From: dingdongbelle

Subject: My Gym Battle…

* * *

Hey, you two.

Yeah, my Gym Battle didn't go so great…

…

…

…

…

…

It went AWESOME!!! I totally got the Boulder Baaaaaadge!! w00t!! And, Flint, the Gym Leader, said that I fought magnificently and that I'm really cut out to be a Trainer. I am SO HAPPY!!

Oh, Cassandra. *ahem* My Pokémon: Charmander (Charmy), Pidgey (Swifter), and Mankey (…Mankey. 0.o). I'm not so great at nicknaming, but whatever!!

Woo, you guys! I cannot wait till I land my mother's Skarmory in Chicole Village, Almia! THERE'S LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT!!!

Your extremely excited Trainer friend,

Belle XD

* * *

_Quick note...this story kinda flows along with the plot of the show, so I'm not using Brock as the Pewter City Gym Leader. Remember, his dad took it over? Well, I'm using his dad as the gym leader!! And now, a big helping of thank-you to all my reviewers:_

_**Bronze Barometer **(Thanks for the Skitty avatar love. I love **love LOVE** the humanized Pokemon drawings. In fact, I'm going to an anime convention in May, and one day I'm going to be Roselia. Well, not Roselia as it appears in the drawings, because Roselia is a boy...but my own, girl version of Roselia. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! ^_^)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Brewing a Storm is a really good story, Caigus. **Oh, by the way, I occasionally make references to Caigus's story in mine, but you have to look for them. You also have to read Caigus's story!!**)_

_Wow, not a lot of reviewers this time around. T_T Now I'm depressed. Make me happy and review this chapter a lot!!_


	12. Chapter 11

Cassandra lifted her head and wiped a spot of drool from the corner of her mouth. Swablu sat perched on her hair like a giant fuzzy hat, and Finny snored slightly from his place in her lap. At Cassandra's movement, Swablu sleepily fluttered from her perch and alighted on the arm of the plastic chair.

Cassandra straightened, feeling at least seven places in her back pop as she did so. She had been leaning over to rest her head on her arms on the table beside the chair. It was morning now; she had spent all yesterday in the Pokémon Center, waiting for Poochyena to be okay. Nurse Joy had come out to inform her that the Pokémon was stable, but she wanted to keep it overnight. She had suggested Cassandra go home, but she refused.

Now the sliding glass door of the Center opened and Joanna walked through, Cassandra's father beside her. Gerald was extremely tall, with dark hair and a well-groomed goatee. Apart from being tall, he was large, sporting broad shoulders and chest. He was also very muscular, but you couldn't see them beneath his smart-looking business suit. He smiled broadly as he made her way over to her, leaving Joanna standing on the welcome mat.

"Sandy-bear," he said in his deep voice. He knelt by her chair. Even from this position, he was so tall he had to look down at her.

"Hi, Daddy."

He looked over his shoulder at Joanna. "You can wait outside for me, dear, if you like."

Joanna nodded curtly and then swished out of the door without so much as a backward glance, let alone a wave to her daughter. Cassandra threw her arms around her father's neck and began sobbing immediately. He returned the hug and patted her back, trying to console her. "Sh, dear, sh," he said once, but other than that he remained silent and let her cry out her worries. She spoke between sobs, telling her father the whole story, and how she felt it would be all her fault if the Poochyena died.

Gerald was quiet. He allowed her to cry and sob until she was finished with one final, shuddering breath and a huge gulp. She finally sat back, wiping her eyes. Finny nuzzled her affectionately, and Swablu chirped in a worried tone.

"Sandy-bear?"

"Hm?"

"I'm very proud of you," he told her, patting her knee. It was strange, now that she thought about it, to see such a big, powerful-looking man kneeling and patting a girl's knee with a hand that he could easily use to snap her leg in half. "You did the right thing, and you were very brave. I love you, Sandy-bear."

Cassandra sniffed. "I love you too, Daddy." She hugged him. "What's Mother doing here?"

"Oh, she wanted me to take her to Rustboro…apparently she has some _shopping_ to do." Gerald's face split into the large grin that he usually wore. "What does she even buy?"

Cassandra giggled a bit. "I don't know…friends?"

Gerald laughed his big, booming laugh as he stood up. "She certainly has enough money to! Now, you stay right here. I'm going to go talk to Nurse Joy about your Poochyena."

The large, almost-seven-foot man walked briskly toward the counter. Unlike most people, he had the privilege of going into the back whenever he wanted, and he did so now. Cassandra waited until he came out, smiling broadly and clapping his hands together. "Nurse Joy says Poochyena is well on his way to recovery!" he told her. "She also says that, if it weren't for you, that poor Pokémon would be dead by now. You can go see him! Come on!" He beckoned her over.

Cassandra returned Swablu and Finny to their Poké Balls and walked over to her father, who placed a hand on her back and walked with her. Nurse Joy stood beside Poochyena's bed. It had been moved from the special intensive care unit, and he now just appeared to be slumbering peacefully, except for a special tube attached to his stomach and the bandages here and there. Joy smiled and reached out to give Cassandra a huge hug, which was incredibly unexpected.

"You saved this Poochyena's life!" Joy said happily. "I set the Volbeat and Illumise free this morning after I scolded them a bit. They looked sorry. But you! You _saved this Pokémon's life_!" And then Joy hugged her again, this time so tight that Cassandra's eyes bugged out slightly and she couldn't breathe.

When Joy released her, Cassandra stepped up to Poochyena's bed and gazed down at it. She reached out and stroked its soft fur. It shifted a bit in its sleep, and she turned and smiled, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Nurse Joy."

Gerald clapped Joy on the back, and the woman stumbled and had to clutch a nearby bed for balance. "Well, Cassandra, I need to get going. Your mother is no doubt getting impatient to get to the shops of Rustboro, and I need to get to work! Mr. Devon is expecting me." He opened his arms. "How about a hug, Sandy-bear?"

Cassandra gave her father a hug and watched him leave. Suddenly, Nurse Joy gave a little gasp and clutched Cassandra's shoulder. "Look! Poochyena's waking up!" She shoved Cassandra toward the bed.

Indeed, Poochyena was waking up. His eyes were half-open, and he was just finishing up a yawn. Cassandra leaned over the bed. "Hello," she said. "Um…I don't know if you remember me, but…um…"

"She saved your life, Poochyena." Nurse Joy stepped up beside her, grinning broadly.

"I caught you with a Poké Ball, but I'll release you if you want to go back to the wild," she told it.

Poochyena shoved its head forward, touching its nose to Cassandra's hand, which she had placed on the edge of the bed. He licked her fingers.

"I think he's saying he wants to stay with you," Joy said breathlessly. Cassandra glanced at her. Was she always this excitable?

"Is that what you want, Poochyena?"

It wagged its tail and closed its eyes again.

"Well, it needs plenty of rest, but by lunchtime he should be all ready to go! You can take him home then. Chansey, can you mind the lobby? I need to go clean up the ICU!" And then Joy was gone.

Cassandra began stroking Poochyena's fur again. "You reminded me of myself," she told it. "You fought yourself to destruction. That's pretty much what I do. Can I give you a nickname? I want to give you something that sounds incredibly cutesy, so people will be surprised when it's you that comes out of the Ball."

Poochyena wagged its tail again. Cassandra scratched it behind the ears. "Hmm…how about Fluffy?"

* * *

**To:** dingdongbelle

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** Ride?

* * *

Hey!

My mom won't let me use Staraptor. Is there enough room on Skarmory for both of us? If there is, could you pick me up? I'd really appreciate it! And then, you could drop me off and see my first Contest! =) That'd be fun!

And congrats on your Gym Battle!! I KNEW you'd do great. And it's really cool that Flint thinks you're cut out to be a Trainer!! Just be careful with your intensity, and make sure you're not overreacting about everything. You know how you get. ;) Oh, and don't feel bad about the whole nickname thing…I just nicknamed a Poochyena FLUFFY. Ha!!

Well, g2g. Love ya lots!

Cassandra

* * *

_w00t!! Another chapter finished!! Thanks to all my reviewers of Chapter 10:_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Aww, you're welcome for mentioning your story...it's a good story, and it sucks you're only getting sparse reviews from me and Tiger. Oh, and your made-up word is forgiven. ;D)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(I'm so sorry that I completely missed your review for Chapter 10! =( Can you forgive me?? I'll have to thank you for both reviews now!! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! Oh, and motives will become clear soon. ^_^)_

_**Augustine May** (School, yeah...school is MURDER. I'm in college right now, and I'm so overwhelmed with stuff that I just had to ask my math teacher for extra tutoring. 0.o I've never had to take tutoring before!! Anyways, thanks for the review! ^_^)_

_Well, that's everyone, as far as I know!! Thanks for the kind reviews!! Sorry for the short-ish chapters...it gets better sooooon, I PROMISE!!!_


	13. Chapter 12

It was finally over. All of it was over, done with, gone, left behind. All that was left to do now was to run through a few graduation practices and ready her speech.

Alyssa had completed the last exam.

She held her squeal of delight until she was upstairs in her dorm room out of courtesy, because it exploded from her throat at a frequency she was surprised human ears could hear. She leapt around as she did it. Finally, she collapsed on Casey's bunk to recuperate, too tired to climb to her own. The air around her felt different now that she was, for all intensive purposes, done with Ranger School. After today, she would no longer be required to wear her uniform. She plucked absently at her jacket sleeve as she considered this. The world was full of possibilities. She couldn't wait until she was a Ranger.

The door of the room opened and Alyssa turned her head to see who it was. Casey walked in, smiling slyly as she shut the door behind her. "So, you were the first to finish your test, _as usual_," she said by way of greeting.

"Oh, yeah, whatever. Casey, that was our last exam!" Alyssa slid off her friend's bunk and stood. "Can you believe it?"

"Yeah, we'll talk about that later." Casey waved this off as if it were trivial information. "Do you care to tell me whose _jacket_ you have stashed underneath your blankets?"

Alyssa couldn't help but blush. Her stomach felt cold for a moment.

"I saw you shoving it under there this morning. It was red. Could it have been…a _Ranger_ jacket?" Casey went to grab at the ladder leading up to Alyssa's bunk, but Alyssa jumped in front of her.

"Maybe. Just leave it alone!"

"Ooh, I _knew_ it!" Casey squealed. "Where were you last night? Who did you meet up with? And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Alyssa sighed. "_Casey_," she said. "Look, I'll tell you the whole story later, okay? I have to return the jacket."

"No, tell me _now_!" Casey blocked Alyssa's ascent to her bunk. "Come on, _tell me_! At least his name!"

Trapped, Alyssa looked around. "Ian."

Casey squealed loudly and clapped her hands. "Ian, Ian, Ian and Alyssa! Oh my God! Ian what? What's his last name?"

"Walton. Ian Walton."

Alyssa could practically see the gears turning in her friend's head. "Walton…is he related to Greg?"

"He's his older brother."

"Oh. My. God. Does he _look_ like Greg, all shrimpy and geeky and nerdy? Like, does he wear glasses and have big ears like Greg?"

"I've met him before," Alyssa mumbled. "And he _used_ to wear glasses and look shrimpy." She looked away and blushed fiercely. "But…puberty's been very kind to him."

How many times was this girl going to squeal? Alyssa felt as though her eardrum might rupture. "So he's a total hottie now?"

"_Yes_." Quickly, while Casey was preoccupied, Alyssa scaled the bed frame to get to her bunk. She peeled back the blankets and pulled out Ian's jacket, which seemed to exude memories of last night. Casey fell silent as she looked up and saw it in all its glory.

"So are you going to take it back today?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah," Alyssa replied, just as quietly. "I was gonna do it now."

"Looking like _that_? Oh, no, girl. Come on…let's start looking through your wardrobe."

_Dear Cassandra,_

_I know letters are slower than e-mails, but I like writing, okay? Today was a very interesting day. I returned Ian's jacket to him (that's a long story, I'll explain later), but Casey, my friend, insisted that she give me a "makeover". I ended up going to see him with my hair down around my shoulders and wearing a strapless dress that she made me borrow. She even put makeup on me! Ian was speechless, so it was worth it. We spent the day together. I think we're really friends now! I just wish that I could be WITH HIM. He is so nice! He doesn't even realize that I'm lovesick. How sweet._

_Well, I need to get some rest…I have a long weekend of NOTHING ahead of me!! Yay!!_

_Love your free friend,_

_Alyssa_

* * *

_I'm not thanking people right now...because I'm putting up TWO CHAPTERS AT ONE TIME!!!_

_..._

_You're welcome._


	14. Chapter 13

Belle angrily tugged on the strap of her bag. Charmy reached out and touched her leg with its little claw, and she gave him a reassuring smile. As she did so, however, she saw Derrick out of the corner of her eye and snapped her head back around.

"Oh, come on," Derrick said, shifting in his seat. "You can't just avoid me forever."

He had insisted he go with her to Cerulean City, because he "didn't want her to go through Mount Moon alone". He had told her it was dangerous. All she had seen was some Clefairy and a few Zubat. There weren't even any Team Rocket agents. As a result, they had bickered the whole way through. Now they sat in the Cerulean City Pokémon Center, resting before Derrick stalked Belle to Saffron City. She had won her Cascade Badge from Misty, the redheaded Gym Leader, and now it was about time she started on her journey to Almia.

"I'm not _avoiding_ you," Belle said. "I'm just trying to get you to stop following me around!" They fell silent for a while. Derrick shifted in his seat so that he was leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. He sighed heavily.

"Look. Can I tell you the reason I keep doing this?"

Belle grunted in reply. Derrick must have taken this as a yes, because he sighed again before he spoke. "I feel really, really bad that I made you fall outside Viridian Forest. You got a huge gash, and you got stitches, all because of how I got spooked in the forest and ran out. And one day, I want to find a way to make it up to you. And also…" He ran his fingers through his blonde hair, tousling it up unwittingly. Belle glanced sideways at him, finding this a bit cute. "I'm all alone, Belle. I…I'm scared. You know the reason I came jumping out of the bushes, right? A noise spooked me. I'm such a coward, and you're so brave. You also seem like a really cool person, so I just thought that…I don't know."

Belle had shifted and was looking at him full-on now. "I'm sorry," she told him. He looked up in surprise, one bit of hair sticking up in the back. "I didn't realize. I'll let you travel with me. You seem like a really good friend." She held out her hand for him to shake. He took it, amazed. "But look…you can't go with me to Almia." She had already explained to him why she was going to Saffron instead of taking the underground tunnel to Vermilion.

Derrick nodded fervently. "I totally understand. That's your thing, you haven't seen your friends in forever, yeah. I get it. Just, um…I'm gonna stay around in Saffron 'til you get back."

Belle smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Okay."

* * *

The road to Saffron City barely took any time to traverse. Belle easily bought a Rail Pass and used the video phone to contact her mother. She helped Derrick get set up at the Pokémon Center. Since he was to be staying for an extended period of time, Nurse Joy set him up in a back room with a comfortable bed. Belle left him there to board the train, and she eventually fell asleep, Charmy curled up beside her peacefully.

When she awoke, dusk was gathering on the horizon and the landscape had shifted. She stroked Charmy's head absently as she watched the land fly by. It was easy to see that they were in Johto now, her home region, and she felt a strange ache in her stomach for her old room in Cherrygrove. The ache grew larger when she realized that she wouldn't be seeing it this time around.

Soon the train was flying past buildings, and finally it eased to a stop at the Goldenrod City Station. Belle tapped Charmy until he woke up; she scooped him into her arms and shouldered her way into the aisle, irritated at the jostling people around her. One rude person shoved her and she "accidentally" lit the shoulder of his coat on fire with Charmy's tail, making the man squawk and bat at it with his briefcase. "I'm sorry!" she told him insincerely. "I'd help, but I don't have any Water Pokémon. It happened because you shoved me!" she called over her shoulder as the crowd carried her away and off the train.

In the station, the people finally spread out and Belle had more room. She looked around, trying to spot her mother. Charmy shifted and Belle was forced to carry him like a baby, with his head over her shoulder. She patted his back absently as she wandered around the station, feeling lost as people purposefully strode past her.

"Belle!"

Belle's heart filled with joy as she turned and saw her little brother, standing by her mother's side and waving toward her. She rushed over to them.

Belle's mother looked positively elated to see her. She was smiling so broadly Belle expected her face to split in half. "And who is this?" she asked, indicating Charmy.

"This is Charmy. He's my Charmander." Belle set Charmy on the ground near Derek.

"It's so good to see you." Belle's mother threw her arms around her, pulling her close. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." And she had. She hugged her mother tightly. When she let go, she turned to Derek. "I missed you, little guy!" She swooped down and picked him up, hugging him against her. Derek put his arms around her neck and nuzzled his face into her shoulder.

"I missed you, Belle." His words were muffled. Belle shut her eyes so as not to let her tears out.

"Well, let's head to the Pokémon Center," Belle's mother suggested. "In the morning, you'll fly out with Skarmory. Tonight, we'll all catch up."

Belle carried Charmy and held Derek's hand on the way to the Center, grinning broadly the whole way.

**To:** dancing_through_life

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** w00t!

* * *

I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XD

* * *

_Oookay, now, thank you to all my reviewers for Chapter 10:_

_**wishhy **(It's nice to see someone new reviewing! Thanks so much...I'm glad you're enjoying it!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Haha, I'm glad you like Gerald. And sorry about your college!! I haven't had to do a research paper yet where I am XP. And I'm glad you're continuing your fanfic despite the lack of reviews. Don't get discouraged!!)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(The fact that you like "Fluffy" makes me happy!! And you also like Gerald--AWESOME!! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing. XD)_


	15. Chapter 14

Cassandra adjusted the straps of her backpack so it fit more comfortably. Swablu perched delicately on her bedpost, gazing across at her. Finny sat on the floor, staring blankly. Fluffy wasn't watching at all; he was scratching his ear and squinting up at the ceiling, fully focused on his itch.

"You three are going to have to be in your Poké Balls while we're flying," Cassandra told them. Fluffy's ears perked up and he stopped scratching to listen. "I won't chance losing _any_ of you. Now, don't think that we're not training just because we're going to Almia. The only day we'll take a break is the day of Alyssa's graduation." She patted her backpack and sat down on her bed, opening her arms as if to encompass the whole room. Swablu fluttered over and perched on her head, while Fluffy nestled to her side and Finny jumped to the other. "You'll like Alyssa and Belle," she told them. "They're not _anything_ like me, though. We're all very different, but we're all very best friends." She stroked Finny's head and scratched behind one of Fluffy's ears. "Well, it's time to go down and say goodbye to my parents and Dorothia."

Cassandra actually lived in a very grand house. Her bedroom was in the tower, making it circular. When she went downstairs, she descended a winding, spiral staircase before coming into a sitting room on the second, and also topmost, floor. They only used this sitting room for very special family occasions, like opening presents Christmas morning. As a result, the white leather couch looked amazingly new, as did the white leather recliner and oak coffee table. The fireplace was incredibly clean. When she exited this room, she entered a much larger room set up for entertaining. A grand piano stood against one wall, with a brown couch facing it. There was a large space for dancing, as well as a stereo and karaoke system set up in a corner. An archway led to the stairs. The door across from the stairs was almost always shut. Upon opening this door, one would find the guest bedroom, which was done up in several different shades of green. A small door in the corner of the large entertainment room led to her parents' bedroom.

Going downstairs brought Cassandra into a small hallway, which turned off almost immediately into the parlor. This room had a flat-screen television in the wall and all the necessary furniture, such as a couch, recliner, loveseat, end tables, coffee table, and the like. Joanna most often used this room for her stupid "girl nights", in which she gathered all her snotty friends and talked about snotty things while watching television and smoking cigarettes. The maids, however, did a very good cleaning job, so nothing in the house smelled even remotely of smoke. The parlor was in the center of the house; on the side of the parlor nearest the door was the entryway, a large hall decorated with fancy hardwood floors and sage green wallpaper with little white flowers. There were sculptures, plants, paintings, and such to decorate this room, so as to immediately impress whoever happened to stumble in. On the other side of the parlor was the dining room. It had a long, gleaming oak table with matching oak chairs all around, each with its own blue velvet cushion. The kitchen spanned the length of the house, but one could only get to it by way of the dining room. A small table was set up in there for when Cassandra and her family didn't feel like utilizing the humongous dining hall. Mostly, this was where Cassandra and her father dined; Joanna almost always wanted to sit at the large, fancy dining room table, even if she was alone.

Cassandra made the trip to the parlor, where her parents sat talking and drinking coffee. Gerald was facing the stairs, and he looked up and grinned broadly as usual when she entered the room, setting down his coffee. "Sandy-bear!"

Joanna turned, mug still in hand, and took a sip. "Hello, Cassandra dear." She eyed her daughter. "Can't you teach that thing not to sit on your head like that? It's repulsive."

Cassandra felt Swablu tense atop her head.

"I think it's adorable!" Gerald proclaimed. "Ah, is that little Fluffy? Glad to see he's doing well!"

Fluffy wagged his tail from his place at Cassandra's feet. "Yes, he's doing very well," she told her father, smiling. "I just came down to say goodbye. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to be leaving, but—"

"Leaving?" Joanna set down her mug. "I thought I told you that you were not allowed to take Staraptor."

"You did, Mother. I am not taking Staraptor. You told me to find other transportation, and I did. Belle is picking me up on her mother's Skarmory."

"_Skarmory_?" Joanna exclaimed, aghast.

"That's a Steel and Flying Type, am I correct?" Gerald asked. "That Bird Pokémon that looks as though it has armor on it?"

"Yes," Cassandra was about to answer, but Joanna cut across her in a disgusted tone. "Yes, it is, flying through the air with its great metal wings—"

"Fantastic! I've never seen one in person!" Gerald's grin broadened. "Won't this be _exciting_?"

Joanna clamped her mouth shut and picked up her coffee mug. Cassandra tried to keep her amused expression off her face. Her father was always painfully oblivious to Joanna's attitude, and as a result, she couldn't be quite as nasty around him.

There was a great cry followed by a _thud_ from outside. Gerald leapt to his feet, suddenly throwing himself to his near-seven-foot height. "That must be her!"

Cassandra felt a thrill in the pit of her stomach as she ran to the doorway, Swablu chirruping indignantly as she was bounced about. Finny and Fluffy chased her excitedly.

Gerald beat her to the door; he threw it open to reveal Belle sliding surely off a Skarmory, which folded its wings back and preened itself. Cassandra frowned. How did a giant bird made of sheet metal preen itself? She stopped pondering this as her eyes fell on Belle, who looked as though she had grown since her last picture. She looked a lot more womanly. She even had breasts! Well, Cassandra herself had these, as did Alyssa, but on Belle it was strange to see them. She was so tomboyish.

"Belle!" Cassandra shrieked, dropping her backpack by her feet and throwing open her arms.

"Cassandra!" Belle ran toward her and nearly bowled her over with the force of her hug, squeezing the air out of her lungs. Cassandra squeezed right back, just as hard. They drew back panting and laughing. "It's good to see you, too, Papa G," Belle added, giving Gerald a much calmer hug. Gerald laughed as he returned the embrace—he loved the simple nickname Belle had created for him. Both she and Alyssa used it.

"So, this must be Swablu and Finny and Fluffy," Belle said, looking over Cassandra's Pokémon. Swablu had flown off Cassandra's head when Belle had run at her and was now hovering gently in the air. "I'm Belle."

"And where are Charmy and Swifter and Mankey?" Cassandra prompted.

"Oh—right here." Belle pulled out three Poké Balls and tossed them, releasing her three Pokémon.

Joanna now stepped out onto the porch, curling her lip at the Skarmory preening itself in her yard. "Oh, hello, Miss Joanna."

"Now, now," Gerald said, climbing the steps to the porch. He threw an arm around his wife's shoulders. "Miss Joanna doesn't sound nearly as young as _Mama J_. Why don't you call her that?"

"Now really, Gerald," Joanna said, her face turning rapidly to a scowl, "there's no need for that."

Cassandra glanced over at Belle. Her eyes were sparkling dangerously. "Oh, it's really no problem. I'd love to call you Mama J. Sorry I called you _Miss Joanna_ at first—Papa G's right, it sounds so much older than Mama J."

Gerald laughed uproariously. "It's settled then!"

Cassandra wanted to collapse into laughter. Her mother had crossed her arms and looked away, but now she was surveying Belle. She saw her mother's eyes go over Belle's blue baseball cap, her red T-shirt, her cutoff-jean shorts, her old and battered tennis shoes. "Wherever did you get those shorts, Belle?" And just like that, Cassandra's mood snapped right into boiling anger.

"Oh, these? These were some jeans I had. I got a hole in the thigh from playing in the yard too much so I had to cut them. They make pretty nice shorts. Don't you think, _Mama J_?" She lifted up the tail of her T-shirt a bit so as to show off her shorts. Cassandra bit down on her knuckle, amused and wishing she could take a picture of her mother's face.

"Well, we'd better get going," Cassandra piped up when she trusted herself to speak.

"Oh, surely Belle can stay the night. She must be tired from flying!" Gerald was strolling down the steps of the porch, toward the Skarmory.

"No, we really need to go, actually. Don't worry, Papa G. I'm coming back to drop Cassandra off, so I'll be in time to watch her first Contest. I'll stay the night then."

"Excellent!" Gerald clapped his hands eagerly. "And you'll be riding Skarmory?"

"Of course," Belle replied. "Well, bye, Papa G! Bye, Mama J!"

Cassandra gave her mother a stiff hug before giving her father a daughterly embrace. She returned her Pokémon and allowed Belle to help her onto the Skarmory. Gerald strode over to stand by them when they were mounted up.

"Have you got enough money?" he asked Cassandra.

"Yes, Daddy."

"And you, Belle?"

"Oh—yeah, Papa G."

Gerald lost his smile. "I'm very serious, Belle. Do you have enough money to get you through your adventure? We can help you. It's no problem for us, really."

Cassandra looked at Belle, who glanced over Gerald's head (quite a feat) and at Joanna, still standing on the porch. Her gaze went back to Gerald. "Papa G, I think I'm okay. But if I need help, I know where to turn."

Gerald's face split into his wide grin again and he patted her knee. "There's a good girl. Keep my Sandy-bear safe!" He patted Cassandra's knee as well. "Love you!"

"Love you too, Daddy."

"Please back away, Papa G. Skarmory has got _quite_ a wingspan."

Gerald jogged backward several steps as Belle shouted a command to Skarmory; the Pokémon spread its wings and gave a mighty flap. Cassandra reached out and wrapped her arms around Belle's waist. Skarmory rose into the air and flew off, leaving Hoenn behind.

**To:** thompson_alyssa

**From: **dancing_through_life

**Subject:**WE'RE COMING!!!

* * *

WE'LL BE THERE TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

* * *

_Thanks to all the people who reviewed chapters 13 and 14!!!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Thanks so much for reviewing and adding me to your community!!)_

_**darthshadow89 **(Thanks for the review!)_

_Not many people reviewed =( Do you guys not like me anymore???_

_*sad*_


	16. Chapter 15

For the last week of school, Alyssa was free. The very day after graduation, she would begin her training as a Ranger. She chose to spend her week at home.

It wasn't a very long walk to Chicole Village. She passed through Vientown, glancing longingly at the Ranger Base. She had learned that she would be stationed there; oh, how excited she was to begin working. She passed by it and walked Chicole Path to her hometown.

The village was small, but she was so happy to say that she hailed from it. She patted her untidy ponytail as she made her way to her house, eyes locked on it. It was a big red farmhouse. Her room was on the second floor, and it was rather large—it had enough room for her, Belle, and Cassandra to sleep. The only other room up there belonged to her older brother, who had run away from home at the age of thirteen. They hadn't heard from him since then.

As Alyssa rounded the corner of her farmhouse and saw the front, she grinned broadly. A large banner was stretched over the door bearing the words _Welcome Home Alyssa!_ in several different colors. She laughed and picked up the pace, jogging instead of walking, excited to see her parents again.

The door opened to reveal her mother in all her motherly glory. She had the same color hair as Alyssa, a pretty blue-green, and wore a faded blue dress. Her smile was the most beautiful thing Alyssa had seen in a long time; she dropped her bag on the ground and charged toward her mother, throwing her arms around her. "I missed you, Mom!"

"I missed you, too." Diana Thompson hugged her daughter fiercely. "It certainly has been a while since we've gotten to see each other."

"Where's Dad?"

"He and Machamp are out in the field." They released each other. Diana smiled. "Ambipom is upstairs tidying your room."

"I'd better go put my stuff up there," Alyssa remarked. She grabbed her messenger bag from the yard and walked upstairs to her room.

Ambipom was in there just as her mother had said; the Pokémon had joined their family as an Aipom before Alyssa had been born, and had evolved when she was three. She reached out and hugged it, laughing as all of its hands pressed against her back. "It's good to see you, Ambipom."

"_Am!"_

Alyssa went to her bed and placed her things on it. "You've done a great job with my room."

"_Am, ambipom,"_ Ambipom replied in thanks. It picked up the cleaning supplies it had left on her dresser. With one of its extra hands, it patted her on the head. _"Ambi!"_ Then it turned and left the room.

Alyssa surveyed her room. It had been quite a while since she had been in here, let alone slept in her bed. She had forgotten how large the mirror on top of her dresser was; if she stood on her bed, she could see her whole body. Her nightstand still had a framed picture of her family. It consisted of her and her parents, Ambipom, and Machoke before he evolved into a Machamp. The only person missing was her brother. He had left a few weeks before the picture was taken. As a result, everyone had slightly sad smiles.

"Alyssa! Your friends are here!"

Alyssa ran to her window and looked out. Sure enough, there was a Skarmory in her yard. She squealed and ran downstairs, stumbling the last few steps and almost crashing into the kitchen counter. Belle and Cassandra stood in her kitchen, smiling at her with their familiar yet unfamiliar smiles.

"You're graduating!" Cassandra yelled before throwing herself onto Alyssa.

"Don't hog the hugs!" Belle cried, leaping out to join her.

Alyssa laughed as they shared a group hug.

* * *

_Hey you guys,_

_I figured I'd leave you this note. I've gone to the beach in Vientown. Mom will give you directions. I didn't want to wake you guys up; you've traveled a really long way. If you didn't bring your bathing suits, I have some that might fit you in the top left drawer of my dresser. I'll be waiting for you guys!_

_Love ya lots,_

_Alyssa_

* * *

_I'm not thanking reviewers in this chapter because I'm posting two at one time!! Yay!!_


	17. Chapter 16

Belle stretched luxuriously, feeling like a Persian as she rolled over on her belly and pushed her borrowed sunglasses up on her head. Tomorrow was Alyssa's graduation. Her week in Almia had been very fun—they had spent almost every morning out on the beach, and Alyssa had taken them on tours. They had even been up to Pueltown, a large, historic city. They had met Ian, and Belle was convinced that he was smitten with Alyssa. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Belle looked over at her green-haired friend, lying on her back next to her.

"What?" Alyssa turned her head and blinked at Belle.

"Nothing," Belle replied. She propped herself up on her elbow. "Are you excited about tomorrow?"

Alyssa sighed happily. Cassandra sat up on her other side. "You _have_ to be."

"It's bittersweet." The graduating girl thrust her hands up to the air, examining her arms. "I mean, I'm so glad to be done with it all, but…there are so many memories in that school."

"Where's your uniform?" Cassandra asked, always concerned about clothes.

"It's in my room. We have to wear them for the ceremony, and then, after that…no more." Alyssa put her arms down and laid her hands on her stomach, pushing her fingernails into the fabric of her one-piece bathing suit.

Belle looked over at the beach. She and Cassandra had let their Pokemon out to play. Swifter and Swablu had taken to the skies; Swablu seemed to be teaching Swifter the graceful maneuvers she had learned from Cassandra. Finny swam around in a circle close to the shore. Poochyena sat with Charmy, who was too afraid to even go near the water, and Mankey sat by itself, focusing on the sand castle it was making.

"Do you miss your family?" Alyssa asked suddenly. Belle and Cassandra both looked at her.

"Who?" Belle asked.

"_You_! You're the only one of us that has actually gone off. You're in a whole different region." Alyssa turned her head to look at her. "Do you miss your mom and Derek?"

"Of course. But…my journey is something I have to do, so…I live with it."

"But doesn't it hurt?" Cassandra inquired softly. She had never been away from her family before. Her eyes were wide and scared.

Belle nodded. "Yeah."

"Don't you cry?"

"Sometimes," Belle admitted. "But it's not like I can stay with Mom and Derek forever, y'know? And it helps that I have a friend that takes my mind off it."

"That Derrick kid?" Alyssa asked, pushing her sunglasses up and glancing sideways.

"Yeah."

"By the end of it, that guy's gonna be head-over-heels in love with you." Alyssa put her sunglassses back over her face.

"Wh-what¾how¾?" Belle spluttered, flabbergasted. Cassandra burst out laughing.

"It's true."

"Nuh-uh!"

"No, I'm totally right," Alyssa said. "Look at him¾he's already following you around like a lovesick Poochyena."

Belle got to her feet. "He is not!" she yelled. "You're wrong!"

"Why are you getting so defensive?" Cassandra pulled her legs up to sit cross-legged.

"Because that's gross! Derrick's just a friend. He's got the same name as my _brother_."

"That'd be awkward during sex," Alyssa piped up.

Belle gasped. Cassandra burst out laughing and threw herself facedown on her towel.

"What?" Alyssa asked, removing her sunglasses and setting them beside her on the sand. "It _would_. Could you imagine? 'Oh, Derek!'" she moaned, sitting up. "'I-I mean, _Derrick_.' You'd have to pronounce them different."

"Mankey!" Belle called, and the Pokémon came shooting to her side. She pointed at Alyssa. "Seismic Toss, into the water!"

"What?" Alyssa yelled as Mankey grabbed her. "Hey, no!" But Alyssa went sailing into the ocean, landing with a large splash. She surfaced, spitting water and laughing.

"Finny, Water Gun!"

The jet of water completely doused Belle. She spluttered and headed toward Cassandra, grabbing her and pulling her to her feet. "No, no!" Cassandra laughed, but Belle wrestled her to the shallow part of the water, where she threw her down. Alyssa came up to join them, and soon they were all playing in the water, laughing and splashing.

When the sun began to set, the three girls reluctantly packed up their things and walked back to Alyssa's house, all their Pokémon follwing behind in a tired group, and unwittingly being stalked by one Zigzagoon.

* * *

Alyssa grinned out at everyone, clutching both sides of the podium for dear life and trying not to let them see how nervous she was. This whole giving-a-speech thing was a lot harder to do than it was to think about.

She had already addressed everyone---family, friends, significant others, and fellow graduates---and thanked all the staff. Now it was time for the most important part of her speech.

"In my years in the Ranger School, I learned many things. But perhaps the most important lesson is something that I didn't learn from the teachers at all. This lesson is better explained through anecdotes.

"When I was very small, I heard that my brother had gotten an A on a test in the Ranger School. My parents were so happy and proud when they heard this. When I myself joined the Ranger School, I decided that I would get an A, so that my parents would be proud of me, too. They were ecstatic about my good grade, and I made it my mission to get as many good grades as I possibly could to make them happy. Now here I stand before you, valedictorian of my class.

"A very long time ago, my family took a cruise on the _SS Anne_. My mother told me to go play in the kiddie pool. That's not a very exciting story, is it? Well, that was when I met my two best friends I've ever had. Ever since we met as three disgruntled nine-year-old girls forced to play in the kiddie pool, we've been as close as three people who live in different regions can be. They have been so important to me over the years.

"Once, last year, I saw a boy in the hallway drop his books and papers. I helped him pick them all up before I went on my way to class. Sound insignificant? Well, this boy turned out to be a year older than me and is currently a Ranger. He remembered my kindness, and now he will be an excellent mentor for me as I work hard at the Vientown Ranger Base.

"While on the beach not too long ago, I saw a Zigzagoon being chased by a Krabby. I helped a Ranger rescue the Zigzagoon. Surely, you say, that was just a random occurrence of no great importance. You would be wrong. That Zigzagoon now follows me everywhere. I have plans to make it my Partner Pokémon.

"So you see…the greatest lesson that I have learned comes not from the teachers here at the Ranger School, even though they are _excellent_ educators. It comes instead from real-life experience. So remember this, fellow graduates, as you embark on your journeys; be careful with what you say, because the most seemingly random person can end up being instrumental in your future. Be careful about how you act, because the most seemingly insignificant situation can turn out to lead to something much greater."

Alyssa wrapped it up with a generic "congratulations" speech and went back to her seat amid cheers and applause. Before she sat, she caught sight of Belle and Cassandra in the crowd, beaming as they clapped loudly.

Belle smiled down from her place astride Skarmory. "Sorry that we have to leave, but I have to get Cassandra back to Verdanturf."

"I'm just sorry that I have to miss our little beauty's first contest," Alyssa replied.

Cassandra adjusted her legs more comfortably on Skarmory's back. "I'm so excited," she breathed. "I wish you could be there, too, Alyssa."

Alyssa smiled. "Yeah, but I start my Ranger duties tomorrow. "

"That uniform is adorable," Cassandra remarked. Both she and Belle had _oohed_ and _aah_ed over the uniform as Alyssa had pulled it on, arranging the short jacket and pulling up the black thigh-highs. "That ponytail even looks good with it."

Alyssa patted her sloppy ponytail with a frown. "What's wrong with the ponytail?"

"Nothing," Belle told her. "We can't all spend tons of time on our hair, Cassandra."

Cassandra smiled prettily. After a few more good-byes, Alyssa took several steps back and watched her friends' ascent into the clouds. As they flew away, she wiped away a tear.

**To:** dancing_through_life, dingdongbelle

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** sigh

* * *

Hey you guys,

You _just_ left my yard, but I'm sending this because I want it to be in your inbox waiting for you when you check your email. I couldn't say any of this without crying.

It really means a lot to me that you guys took all that trouble to come and see me graduate. You two are my best friends in the world, and I probably wouldn't be where I am today if you guys hadn't coaxed me to do my best. I'm so glad that I met you, and I'm so happy you could be a part of one of the biggest things that's happened to me _ever_. I know that we'll all be busy with our different things for a while, so we probably won't get as much chance to talk. But I just want you both to know…even if we don't get to contact each other very often, I love you guys. I love you guys so much, and I will always and forever think of you as my best friends.

Ah, if you could see me, you'd hug me…because I'm tearing up.

Love your mushy crybaby friend,

Alyssa

* * *

_Okay, thanks to all my totally awesome reviewers:_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(XD Yeah, it's too bad that they don't stay together for long though.)_

_**Augustine May **(I understand the whole school-swamping thing. I'm so glad you like the story. Yeah, Cassandra's mom is very stuck up...)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Oh, I guess I was juggling there. XD Thanks for the review!)_

_**pixette **(This person reviewed Chapter 1, but since they reviewed, I feel the need to thank them! Thanks for your kind reviews. I'm glad you like my story! XD)_

_Okay, next chapter is coming next week!_


	18. Chapter 17

Cassandra squinted up at the huge board across the top of the contestants' waiting room that displayed the tourney tree, looking for her number and picture. The row across the bottom was rapidly filling up with pictures, but the rows above were empty; the first contest battle hadn't taken place yet. She leaned sideways.

"Stay _still_!" barked a disgruntled Belle near Cassandra's stomach. She was trying to pin Cassandra's number on her left hip. "If you keep moving, I'm gonna end up poking you."

"But I haven't found my picture yet."

"I don't give a damn. Find your picture when I'm done—"

"There I am!" Cassandra rushed off excitedly. Belle almost toppled over; she had been kneeling on a bench in front of her friend. Frustrated, she stood and dusted off the jade green skirt she had borrowed from Cassandra and walked after her. "Right there! Ooh, I'm close to the beginning!" She whirled happily, but her smile quickly faded as she saw the look on Belle's face.

"That's fantastic. Now can you _stand still_ while I put this damn thing on you?"

Cassandra obliged and stood still, gazing up at the board as Belle knelt in front of her. Her picture was connected to a blank square by a little silvery line, and her eyes remained fixed on that blank square as Belle carefully pinned her number on her dress.

Finally, the blank square lit up and a picture of a girl with wildly pink hair appeared there. Cassandra quickly turned her head to look around for her.

"Done," Belle said. She straightened and looked up at the board. "You're up against some pink-headed girl."

"I know. I'm looking for her to see which Pokémon she has."

"Maybe she doesn't have her Pokémon out. Like you. But I don't see any sense in trying to make it a surprise which Pokémon you have when you're _dressed like her_."

Cassandra smiled as she looked over the crowd, searching for pink. She wore a long blue dress with a fitted bodice and a slightly flared skirt. It fastened in a halter. She had borrowed—_stolen_—a pair of her mother's elbow-length white evening gloves, and her honey-colored hair was pinned up in an elegant bun.

"I don't see her," Belle said. She sat down on the bench with a sigh. "You realize there's only four rounds, right? So you only have to win three times before you're in the final two."

"I doubt I'll do that in my first contest," Cassandra said, still craning her neck and looking for any flash of pink she could find.

"You're really good," Belle said, just as an announcement came on over the PA.

"The first battle is about to begin. Pair one, you have ten minutes to get set up on stage. If you are not a contestant, please have a seat in the stadium. Thank you."

"Well, I guess I have to go," Belle said. She reached out and hugged Cassandra. "I'll be rooting for you."

"Thanks so much," Cassandra replied, hugging her back. "I love you, Belle."

"Love you too, Cassandra." And she turned and hurried to the stadium, where Gerald and Joanna had saved her a seat.

Cassandra's first battle was against a Wigglytuff. She won easily; while Wigglytuff was cute, it could only be graceful so much.

For her second battle, Swablu easily defeated a Chikorita, since she had a type advantage. The poor Chikorita didn't even have time for its points to start building before Swablu hit it with a graceful Wing Attack and fainted it.

The third battle was against an Espeon. This was a bit tougher, but Cassandra and Swablu managed it.

When Cassandra wasn't battling, Belle and Gerald left the stadium to join her in the waiting room. They found all the other battles unimportant.

"You're in the finals!" Belle cried as she hugged her friend.

"I'm worried," Cassandra choked out. "What will I do? The person I'm about to go up against defeated three other people to get here!"

"Hey, Sandy-bear," Gerald said, patting her on the shoulder. "So did you."

They soon had to make their way back to their seats with Joanna. Belle watched apprehensively as Cassandra and her opponent took their places. The girl on the other side of the stage had her orange hair fastened into two balls. She wore an elegant white kimono tied with a light orange obi.

"The moment you've all been waiting for!" the MC shouted into his mike. "The final battle of the day! This battle will determine the winner of the contest! Ladies and gentlemen, introducing Cassandra Étoile, from right here in Verdanturf Town!"

Gerald and Belle cheered loudly along with the crowd; Cassandra's classic grace had won her many fans already. Cassandra turned and curtsied grandly.

"And also, introducing Sakura Konohana, from Lilycove City!"

The redheaded girl, apparently Sakura, lifted one hand and waved gracefully.

"Ready the stage!"

Belle frowned as the stage seemed to split down the middle; the two halves moved away from each other, revealing a small pool underneath. "What—?"

"If you had stayed here and watched the other battles, you would have already known about that," Joanna sniffed. "That Sakura girl has a Goldeen, so they need to accommodate her."

"Isn't that a bit unfair?" Belle asked.

"Well, a Goldeen really couldn't do much on land," Gerald reasoned. "I guess they have to take that into account."

Belle looked worriedly down at Cassandra, who didn't appear to be freaking out at all.

But she was.

Cassandra was trying very hard not to move her facial muscles one bit as she stared down at the crystal-clear water of the pool. What was this? What was going on? She raised her eyes to look at Sakura Konohana, who stood tall and erect in her kimono.

"Begin!" the MC said.

Sakura pulled a Poké Ball out of her sleeve and tossed it out towards the water. "Go, my Deena!"

A Goldeen burst from the Poké Ball and dived splendidly into the water, shaking out its tail.

"A magnificent entrance!" the MC announced. "The judges seem to have given Deena a respectable amount of points for it!"

_Then we have to do better than that, _Cassandra thought. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, searching her memory for one of the more beautiful Poké Ball throws she had come up with.

Belle leaned forward in her seat. Cassandra raised her Poké Ball into the air above her head before bringing her arm across her chest and spinning around in a complete three-sixty. As she did so, she released the Poké Ball straight up into the air. "Fly, Swablu!"

Swablu rocketed out of the Poké Ball, wings tucked in and spinning as it whirled up, up, up, before fanning out its wings abruptly and hovering over the stage. The crowd burst into applause and the little yellow bar beneath Cassandra's picture on the scoreboard shot forward.

"And Swablu makes an _incredible _entrance, putting its score ahead of Deena's already!" The MC's voice shrilled a bit in his excitement.

"Deena, use Horn Attack!"

"_Goldeen!"_ Deena leapt out of the water.

"Underneath!" Cassandra called. Swablu understood. She waited until Deena was almost upon her; then she dipped underneath the Goldeen and flew past. "Now use Wing Attack!"

Swablu wheeled and brought its wing down on Deena, who fell back into the water with a flop.

"Ooh, that's going to take away a considerable amount of points from Deena," the MC said. The yellow bar under Sakura's picture retracted.

"Doing great, Swablu!"

"Hide," Sakura said, so soft that Cassandra could barely hear her. Deena dived down under the water and disappeared. Swablu hovered uncertainly. Cassandra squinted into the water, unsure of what to command. "Now!" Sakura yelled suddenly.

The Goldeen burst from the water and buried its horn into Swablu's stomach. Swablu cried out and did an awkward sort of barrel roll, leaving Deena to dive gracefully back into the water. Of course, points were taken away.

Belle winced as she watched Cassandra's yellow bar contract. Gerald looked troubled as well; he had his elbows placed on his knees and was frowning as he watched his daughter's battle. Joanna, however, wore a half-smile as she brought her drink to her lips.

"Nancy talks about that Konohana girl," she said, noticing that Belle was watching her. "She says that she's a Lilycove favorite. I see why now."

"You do realize that you're supposed to root for your _daughter_, right?" Belle asked her.

"I root for the winner." Joanna took a sip of her water. Belle had the urge to reach over and smack it into her face.

The battle was an intense one; points were given and taken away on both sides. It was the longest battle yet. After a while, it didn't look so good for Swablu; she seemed tired, and her points were pretty low. Cassandra looked calm, but she was panicking as she surveyed the battle.

Sakura smirked. As far as she was concerned, she had this battle in the bag. "Hide," she said softly.

Big mistake. Cassandra was a swift learner. In her mind's eye, she saw Swablu hovering uncertainly over the stage and falling victim to Deena's Horn Attack from below. She knew how to avoid it this time.

"Swablu, circle the stage from above!"

"_Swa!"_ the Pokémon cried in reply, beginning its circling. Sakura frowned. If Swablu didn't stay in one place, Deena wouldn't know when to attack; the Goldeen was probably swimming in circles to match Swablu's right now, uncertain.

"Now!" Sakura cried, hoping for the best. Deena burst out of the water.

"Do a barrel roll!" Cassandra yelled. She could see a question in Swablu's eyes: _Why?_, but she did one anyway. Deena sailed up and over her, splashing as she landed back in the water.

"That was a beautiful dodge, but was it enough to give her more points?" the MC said into his mike. Cassandra's yellow bar pushed forward a bit, but not enough to put her past Sakura. She gritted her teeth.

"Hide!" Sakura said desperately, eyeing her own yellow bar as the judges took away points for Deena's graceless landing. She was now only ahead of Cassandra by a very small margin; she needed to get more points. The clock was going to run out soon; it hadn't for any of the other battles, which had all resulted in a definite win by a Pokémon fainting.

Cassandra was beginning to see that Sakura was a bit of a one-trick pony. "Get her!" she yelled to Swablu. "Go fishing!"

Swablu did one quick tight circle over the center of the pool before diving into it. The crowd gasped.

Swablu didn't come up.

For several agonizing seconds, neither Pokémon was visible. Cassandra watched the water, every muscle of her body on high alert. She saw a slight shadow and moved her hand; the shadow turned in the direction she indicated. She reached one hand back toward her hair, and then several things happened at once.

Cassandra's hair fell from its bun and fanned out, catching the light as it tumbled down around her shoulders; she flung her arm out at the same moment, and Swablu burst from the surface of the water, synchronized perfectly with Cassandra's movements. Deena flopped helplessly in her beak. Water droplets shimmered as they fell from her body, making her seem to glow as she ascended to the ceiling.

"A beautiful coordination between Trainer and Pokémon!" the MC shouted excitedly. "And what fishing skill!"

"Drop!" Cassandra called. Swablu opened her beak; Deena fell, tumbling over herself. "Hit!"

Swablu chased Deena down and buffeted her with a wing; she zoomed to the other end of the stadium, wheeled expertly, and then came back to hit Deena again. She kept this up until Deena landed in the water with a flop, belly-up.

She had fainted.

And Sakura's points were now down to zero. Swablu's, however, were practically bursting from the bar; the MC was yelling excitedly. "What a victory! Our own local, long-haired Cassandra Étoile has _annihilated _Sakura Konohana's chances to move on to the Super Rank Contest in Fallarbor Town!"

Swablu shook itself dry before coming down to land in Cassandra's arms; Cassandra squeezed it. The crowd was on its feet, including Belle and Gerald. Joanna set down her water and stood, clapping with a surprised expression on her face.

**To: **thompson_alyssa

**From: **dacning_through_life

**Subject: **I WOOOONNNN!!

* * *

Hey Alyssa,

I WON MY FIRST CONTEST!! I'm so happy! Mom even took me and Belle to Lilycove Department Store so I could pick out a ribbon case. She BOUGHT it for me. Isn't that freakin' AMAZING?? My mother did something nice for me!!

I don't think I did all that well, but I won!! YAY!!

Well, tonight is Belle's last night here (T_T), so I better get back to her. Oh, she wants to type something.

Hey, don't let our modest Cassandra fool you. She did AWESOME!! You should have seen it! Actually, Papa G bought a DVD of the battle from the Contest Hall. We're gonna put it on PokéTube!!! XD

Hey, Cassandra again. And NO SHE'S NOT.

Love your winning friend,

Cassandra ^_^

P.S. That email…we love you too, Alyssa. It really made us cry.

* * *

_Okay, now a big thank-you to the reviewers of Chapter 16!_

_**Mo12341234 **(Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it ^_^)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(All will be revealed about the mystery Pokemon...ha!)_

_**mgunh1 **(Thanks, I'm glad that people like the emails at the end! And haha, I have you hooked now!)_

_**darthshadow89 **(Ha, it ceratinly is. ^_^)_


	19. Chapter 18

Cassandra felt strangely empty as she watched Belle disappear into the sky the next morning, but she had to push the thought out of her mind. She needed to go off to Fallarbor Town—the next contest date was three weeks away.

Cassandra ate breakfast and then walked into the parlor, where Joanna and Gerald sat on the couch. Gerald put away his paper and smiled as she walked in. "There's our little winner!" He stood up and embraced her. "How did it feel?"

"Good," Cassandra replied. "Very good."

"Well, much to my surprise, Cassie, you seem to have potential." Joanna smiled as she took a sip of her coffee. "You may borrow Staraptor to get to Fallarbor Town."

"Um, actually…I'd…" Cassandra looked over at Gerald rather than act like she wanted her mother's blessing. "I'd rather go myself. Y'know…like Belle is going on her own."

"Go yourself?" Joanna echoed. She set her mug down on the table in surprise.

"Like a Pokémon Journey," Gerald said. "Well, you're old enough now, and you have your official first Pokémon…I think it's a grand idea!" He clapped his hands. "The only thing is, what route should you take?"

Cassandra grinned broadly. Joanna seemed shell-shocked. "But…perhaps we should hire a bodyguard or two to go after her. Or we could order a car."

"No, that's okay," Cassandra told her. "I'd like to do this kind of…classically."

"Kickin' it old school!" Gerald proclaimed. "Now, as for routes…I'm not particularly fond of you going through Meteor Falls by yourself."

"But there's always a sandstorm brewing on Route 111," Joanna said. "She shouldn't be there by herself, either."

"That's true," Gerald replied. "Hmm…well, Swablu, Finny, and Fluffy should be strong enough to get you through Meteor Falls. You know, Finny should be about ready to evolve…don't you think, dear?"

"Yes, about ready." Joanna lost interest in the conversation. She picked up her coffee mug and produced a crossword puzzle from seemingly nowhere. "You should pack." Joanna then picked up a pencil and wrote down something on her puzzle.

"Yes, you should pack! We'll help you!" Gerald sprang to his feet. "Come on, Joanna!" He knocked her elbow, making her spill coffee on her crossword.

* * *

The very next day, Cassandra emerged from the Rusturf Tunnel, Finny trotting along beside her. She made her way to the Pokémon Center.

Once inside, Cassandra settled into one of the plastic chairs and pulled out her breakfast and a newspaper as she waited for Nurse Joy to tend to her Pokémon. She was just reading an article about strange Snorlax movements in Kanto when the glass door slid open again and a slightly familiar voice said, "Hello, Nurse Joy."

"Hello, Karen."

Cassandra looked up. A girl about a year or two younger than her was walking to the counter, her violently pink hair in two ponytails on either side of her head, both of which were in elaborate ringlets. She wore a pastel yellow sweater with sleeves that only let her fingertips protrude from the ends and a pink-and-yellow plaid skirt. A Wigglytuff walked beside her.

Karen Lowell and Tuffly, Cassandra's first ever contest opponents.

Cassandra put her newspaper down in her lap as Karen and Tuffly approached Nurse Joy's counter. "What brings you two here today?" Nurse Joy asked.

"We're bored," Karen replied.

"_Wiggly!"_

"I'm sorry. I don't have much for you to help with today. I only have one person in here right now."

Karen looked over her shoulder at Cassandra. "Hey! Hey! I know you! I'd recognize that hair anywhere! It's so long, and it's honey-colored."

Cassandra blinked. This girl thought _her_ hair was recognizable?

"You're Cassandra Étoile! I went up against you in the preliminaries!"

"Yep. How are you and Tuffly? And what are you doing here?"

"Oh, we're great! And I live here in Rustboro. So I guess the question is…what are you doing here?"

Cassandra smiled as she folded up her newspaper carefully. "I'm heading to Fallarbor. I figure I'll get there early and introduce myself."

"That's a fantastic idea," Karen told her. "A good Coordinator familiarizes him or herself with the Contest Hall."

"So, are you trying to become a Coordinator?"

"Who, me? Oh, no. I just like Pokémon. I've tried being a Trainer, too, but the fact is…I just like them for pets." She reached out and hugged Tuffly. "Right, Tuffly?"

"_Wiggly."_

"Oh, you know what? You're headed to Fallarbor, right? I'll just go with you! Wait here and let me get my stuff together. We can travel together. It'll be fun!"

Cassandra laughed. "Right. You're cute."

"Come on, Tuffly. Wait here, Cassandra, okay?"

"Wait, what—?"

Karen rushed out of the Center.

* * *

**To: **dingdongbelle

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** Now I know how it feels.

* * *

So I unwittingly attracted a traveling companion.

Her name is Karen Lowell and she's fifteen. She likes having Pokémon as pets, and she has a Wigglytuff named Tuffly. She's actually the girl I first went up against in Verdanturf. Turns out she lives in Rustboro and she's bored out of her mind, and her parents don't care if she goes running off to Fallarbor Town with a sixteen-year-old stranger.

Whoopee for me.

Love your enthusiastic friend,

Cassandra

P.S. Okay, she's not _that_ bad.

* * *

_Okay, thanks to my reviewers!_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yay! I'm glad you liked it!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Yay, HUZZAHHH!!)_

_I'm extremely happy that people are excited for Cassandra. It makes me feel like my characters are alive to more than just me!! XD_

_I know that this is going to be the first time I say this...**HOLD OFF ON REVIEWING THIS CHAPTER!!! **I am going to post **Chapter 19 **in **just a few seconds**._


	20. Chapter 19

Belle stepped into the train station and adjusted her hat better on her head. Charmy reached up and held her hand like a four-year-old.

"Belle!"

She turned in the direction of the voice, catching a flash of tousled blonde hair. "Derrick?"

He grinned broadly as she came over towards him. "Surprised?"

"What are you doing here? I said I'd meet you at the Pokémon Center."

"Well, I figured that it would be nice if someone was here at the station waiting for you. So, what's the plan? Do you want to stay the night at the Center, rest up a bit, or do you want to go ahead to Vermilion City now? I'd recommend waiting, actually. The past week must have been tiring. Here, let me get your bag."

Belle smiled. It was really sweet of him to think of her.

They walked to the Pokémon Center together. Derrick asked about her trip and listened with great enthusiasm as she told him of first Alyssa's graduation speech, then Cassandra's fantastic come-from-behind victory.

"Your friends sound almost as great as you," he said.

Belle smiled again. "You know, I think they're even better."

"Nah," Derrick said as the Pokémon Center door slid open. It was quite busy; people milled about the lobby. Belle sighed as she looked around.

"It's going to be hard to find a place to sleep."

"Oh, so you're going to stay the night?"

"Yeah, I'd better."

"Well, it won't be hard for you to get a place. Come on." He led her through the crowd and waved at Nurse Joy as he passed by the counter and went into the back. He led her past the Pokémon being tended by Chansey and into a back room.

"This is where Nurse Joy set you up," Belle observed. Derrick set her bag gently on the floor beside the bed.

"Yep. And you'll sleep here tonight."

"With _you_?" Belle was thunderstruck.

"No," Derrick said quickly. "You'll sleep in here, and I'll go find a place out there."

"But this is the place you've been sleeping—"

"And you're tired, right? Sleep here." He gathered his things. "I'll just go ahead and claim a space now."

"Derrick, wait!"

"I'm not changing my mind," he told her, pausing at the doorway. Belle smiled at him.

"I know. Thank you."

He smiled back. "You're welcome. Hey, once you get settled, we'll go eat some dinner. Sound good?"

"Yeah."

The next morning, Derrick knocked softly on Belle's door. When she called for him to come in, he entered to see her already dressed and packing her things.

"Oh…I thought I'd have to wake you up."

"I've always been an early riser. Dad used to say that was the first sign of a Pokémon Trainer." She paused, surprised that she had just said that.

Derrick seemed to sense the change in atmosphere. "Used…to say?"

"Yeah. Dad…died."

"Oh." He came to kneel beside her. "How old were you?"

"Eight."

"I was nine."

Belle looked over at him. She only saw his profile; he didn't look at her. He reached forward and picked up a shirt that she had been meaning to grab off the floor. He folded it idly. "We lived on Cinnabar Island…me, Mom, Dad, and Koko."

"Koko?"

"My little sister." He placed the shirt on her bag. "She was three. We were all fishing…Koko fell in, and Dad went in after her." Derrick shifted slightly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. He still refused to look at her; he kept his eyes on his hands. "A Tentacruel came up, and…Koko never surfaced. Dad was poisoned to death in the tentacles."

Belle blinked and found her vision blurry. She turned away and shoved the folded shirt inside her bag, wiping away her tears as she did so. "I…I'm sorry. Is your mom worried about you?" She glanced over her shoulder at him. Derrick didn't reply; he was, instead, smiling in a sad sort of way at the floor.

"So, uh…Didja catch any new Pokémon since I was gone?"

"Yeah. I caught a Geodude." Derrick passed a hand in front of his eyes; Belle looked away. "I went back to Mount Moon to get it."

"Wait." Belle closed up her bag and stood up. "You went back to Mount Moon _by yourself_, after you made that big stink about not wanting me to go there alone?"

Derrick looked up at her and smiled. "Pretty much."

Belle shook her head. "Well, I'm all packed. Let's get a move on, shall we?"

He nodded and stood; Belle looked down at the floor and noticed a bit of water glistening where Derek had knelt.

**To:** dancing_through_life

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** Oh really?

* * *

It's nice to hear that I'm not the only flypaper for freaks in the world.

But does your traveling companion have a tragic past? MINE DOES. Get this…when he was nine, he lost both his father and HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD SISTER. In one shot! His sister drowned and his father was poisoned by a Tentacruel trying to save her.

O

M

G

I CRIED. And so did he. He tried not to let me see, but I saw. 0.o

Well, I'm in the Vermilion City Pokémon Center right now. I caught a Diglett at Diglett Cave. Derrick had caught a Geodude, and I couldn't let him have more Pokémon than me!! Also, I needed a Ground Type to use against Lt. Surge. Plus…

Don't judge me…

I think Diglett is cute.

0.o

Oh, I think Derrick's coming out of the bathroom. I don't want him to know that I'm blabbing about his tragic past, so I've gotta wrap this up.

Love your turning-girly friend (YEEUUCCKK!),

Belle


	21. Chapter 20

Alyssa's heart pounded in her chest as the glass doors of the Vientown Ranger Base slid open. It was time for her to start her new, exciting life of helping people and Pokémon. Zigzagoon, who she had decided to call Ziggy, happily trotted after her as she walked inside.

She had only been inside the Ranger Base one other time in her life—on a field trip a few years after she had joined the Ranger School. She had been about eight, and had looked around at the lobby with wonder.

She felt the same way now as she did back then.

The lobby spread out before her. The floor was green and grassy, and she stood on a glass walkway that bridged over a watery moat. She felt Ziggy push himself against her leg as he stared warily down at the water beneath his feet. The only places that weren't covered in smooth green grass were the large computer in the corner on her left and the Operator's office area in the corner to her right. The water, she knew, was to help keep the part of the tree on top of the building alive. Every Ranger Base had a bit of the tree on top, and the large Tree of Life (or whatever it was called) was growing out of the roof of the Ranger Union.

A few Rangers stood in the grass, as well as a rather butch-looking woman, who stood talking to the Operator. One of the Rangers was a fat, dark-skinned man with a tuft of dark brown hair sprouting out of the top of his head. He turned as the door opened; he had been talking to Ian.

Ian smiled. "And there she is!"

"Right on time," the fat Ranger said in a deep, booming voice. "I'm Barlow. I run things here at the Vientown Ranger Base. What's that?" He pointed.

"Oh, this is Ziggy." Alyssa scooped Zigzagoon up and walked forward a few paces. "I was hoping to make him my Partner Pokémon."

"All right, done," Barlow replied, waving his hand dismissively. "So, we usually make the rookie deliver the local newspaper. You up to that?"

The other two Rangers in the base, the butch woman, and the Operator were now eyeing her with interest. Alyssa felt a rush of adrenaline. "You mean…like a _mission_?"

"Uh…sure, whatever. I'll have somebody go with you. Any volunteers? Crawford? Luanne?"

The other two Rangers, a boy with a brown bowl cut and a raven-haired girl, shrugged noncommittally.

"I'll do it," Ian piped up.

"All right then. The papers are over there." Barlow gestured towards the large computer behind him, where Alyssa now noticed were two stacks of newspapers tied with twine. "Actually, Ian, don't you have a younger brother?"

Ian's face darkened. "I helped him get stationed in Pueltown."

Alyssa started heading over towards the papers, setting Ziggy down on the ground. He followed after her.

Ian picked up one stack of newspapers, and Alyssa scooped up the other. They left the base side-by-side.

"I made sure of it that Greg got stationed in Pueltown," Ian remarked as he yanked at the twine. "They're a bigger base, so he'll get paid a little more." He frowned. "That's what he cares about. And I won't have to deal with him here."

"I'm glad I got stationed here," Alyssa said. She yanked a newspaper off the top of the stack and tossed it into someone's yard as they passed. When she looked at Ian, he appeared to be blushing.

"Well…I may have…done a little persuading…"

"_What_?" Alyssa asked. Ian didn't reply; he pulled a newspaper off his stack and threw it onto a porch.

"Barlow doesn't like trainees," he said finally. They continued their routine of throwing. "He thinks it's too much work to train one. You notice how you're the only new Ranger that showed up today?"

Alyssa didn't say anything. She was a bit surprised. Sure, Barlow seemed less than friendly, but…

"That crap about how we usually make the rookie deliver the paper…well, that's when we _get_ a rookie. I was his first rookie in seven years." He grinned down at her. "But he took a liking to me; I did my job really well. So he listens when I recommend things, and…I recommended you."

"Why, though?" Alyssa asked.

Ian's ears turned red. "Well…you're…nice. I kind of liked the idea of…getting to know you better. Working with you."

Alyssa smiled and looked down at the paper, not even taking in the headline. By now, they only had a few newspapers left to deliver. "Well, I'm glad you did a little persuading. I like the idea of getting to know you better, too."

Ian's whole face turned beet red, and when he threw his last newspaper, it went wrong and smacked into the mailbox of the next-door neighbor to the house at which he was aiming, forcing him to go retrieve it.

Alyssa smiled. It felt good to fluster someone.

**To:** dancing_through_lifepoké

**From:** thompson_alyssa_.com

**Subject:** COOL!!!

* * *

AWESOME!!! SUPER!!! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

It's so cool that you won your first contest! I'm so happy for you! XD You have to email me the video!!! I DEMAND COVERAGE!!! How high do you have to go before it's televised?

Well, I am so excited for you. And now you need to be excited for me. It turns out that I'm only stationed in Vientown because…get this…

IAN WANTED ME TO BE THERE!!!

Barlow never takes rookies, and Ian convinced him to!!! w00t! Do you think Ian has a crush on me??

…maybe.

…God I hope so.

AAAHH!! XD I am so happy!!

Well, I've gotta go…I need to get to bed. I had quite a busy day of waiting around and watching Bowl-Cut Crawford and Vain Luanne get quests.

…do I sound bitter?

Love your un-busy friend,

Alyssa

* * *

_A great, big, whopping thank-you to all my reviewers!!!_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yay! My updates make you smile! XD)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Ha, it's true...Cassandra is in for an exciting adventure.)_

_**Yereton **(Thanks! I'm so glad you like the story!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Yes, Joanna is a good pessimistic character...I can't believe I made a character that I myself want to punch in the jaw. A three-in-one review is just fine, Caigus! Thanks so much! XD)_

_Okay everybody, I'm going to post **Chapter 21** in a little while! Another two-for-one!!_


	22. Chapter 21

Belle blew gently on her coffee before raising the cup to her lips. The Vermilion City Pokémon Center was deserted; all the trainers that had been there the day before had left, either because they were going to challenge Lieutenant Surge or because they had already challenged him and needed to move onto Erika in Celadon. Belle and Derrick sat alone at a table, eating breakfast. They had decided to wait to take their gym challenge until all the trainers had finished. Neither of them had any desire to wait in a long line.

Belle set her coffee cup down and looked up at the TV absently. It was on the channel that played news all the time. She blinked. The pictures changed and the anchorwoman talked, but Belle didn't take in any meaning.

"Oh, not _again_," Derrick moaned suddenly. She glanced over at him; he was looking up at the television. "Nurse Joy, could you turn up the TV?"

"Certainly." Nurse Joy picked up the remote from behind the counter and turned the volume up.

"—another Snorlax has fallen asleep. Anyone wishing to travel from Vermilion City must take the Lavender Town route." The picture cut to a video of a large, slumbering Snorlax right in the middle of the path. Several people were dancing around it, yelling and pushing at it. "Police say that when the Snorlax has moved, the public will be notified."

The anchorwoman appeared again and went off on some other story. Derrick moaned and slumped onto the table. "Those stupid Snorlax! I swear, they fall asleep in the most inconvenient places at the most inconvenient times. It's like the world _wants_ you to go out of your way sometimes for stupid reasons. I don't want to go to Lavender Town. Let's just stay here until the Snorlax moves."

"No way!" Belle cried. "There's no telling how long that'll be! In Johto, there's a weird tree right outside Goldenrod City that blocks the road, and you have to water it with a watering can. It freaks out and runs away, but there it is again the next day. And there's no way around it. With this, at least there's a way around. We're challenging Lieutenant Surge this afternoon, and then we're setting off for Lavender Town."

"But Lavender Town is _haunted_," Derrick whined. "Isn't it, Nurse Joy? You have a sister in Lavender Town, right?"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Well, yes, but she says that it's really not so bad there."

"See, Derrick? You have nothing to worry about. I'm going, with or without you."

Derrick groaned and threw himself face down on the table again as Belle calmly took a sip of her coffee.

* * *

Belle was feeling confident. With a Diglett, Lieutenant Surge had no chance of getting an attack in. She had progressed past his traps and stood before him, staring at him from under the brim of her hat.

"Go! Magneton!"

_Crap._ Magneton didn't touch the ground, so Ground-type moves wouldn't work on it. But it _was_ part Steel…

"Charmy! Let's go!" Belle tossed Charmy's Poké Ball out onto the arena, and her Charmander broke free of it.

"Thunderbolt, Magneton!"

"Use Ember, Charmy!"

Charmy did so; the Fire-type move hit Magneton so hard that it was blown backwards a bit.

Lieutenant Surge's face darkened considerably. Already his Magneton was hurt, and even burned. It hadn't even attacked. Its three eyes seemed to point at each other. "Come on, Magneton! Use Thunder Wave!"

"Don't let it attack, Charmy! Ember again!"

Charmy obeyed quite well. Magneton was toast; it fell to the ground, whirring tiredly, and the gym's referee held up Belle's colored flag.

"Magneton is unable to battle. Challenger wins!"

Belle folded her arms as Lt. Surge withdrew Magneton. "You shouldn't look so smug, young lady," he told her in a gruff voice as he picked another Poké Ball off his belt. "This next Pokémon is my last…and I can pretty much guarantee that—" Surge stopped.

Belle followed his gaze to see a glowing Charmy standing where a non-glowing Charmy had stood just seconds before. "What? Charmy is evolving!" she cried out.

Charmy glowed brighter until he seemed composed of nothing but bright white light, and then his shape started to shift and turn; he grew taller, and a spike grew out of his once-round head. His arms got longer, his legs got thicker, his tail stretched just a tiny bit. Then the light faded, revealing a Pokémon that was red instead of orange, with a much fiercer gaze and long claws.

Lt. Surge was the one who broke the silence. "Your Charmy evolved into Charmeleon!"

"Oh," Belle said. Charmy was now almost as tall as she was; when it came running back to her, arms outstretched to hug her, its head came to right underneath her breasts, and its head-spike protruded up past them. She placed a hand on the back of Charmy's head. "Good job, Charmy. I'm so proud of you."

"_Meleon!"_

"Okay, enough of the mushy love," Surge barked. "Raichu!"

Raichu, although absolutely adorable, looked rather fierce. It bared its fangs as it burst out of the Poké Ball, thrashing its strange whip-like tail over its head. Belle withdrew Charmy to his Poké Ball and pulled a different one off her belt.

Well, it wasn't really a belt. It was more like a loop of material that she kept slung cock-eyed around her hips, so that one side was up near her waist. But for simplicity's sake, she called it a belt.

"It's your turn, Diglett!"

"Diglett?" Surge muttered as the Pokémon appeared before him.

"Use Dig!"

And then the Diglett disappeared. _Shloop!_ and it was gone. Belle smiled grimly as she realized that she was using much the same technique as Sakura Konohana had against Cassandra.

"We've encountered this before, Raichu!" Surge shouted. "Feel the vibrations of the ground!"

Raichu went down on all fours, putting all of its limbs to the challenge. It closed its eyes and Belle bit her lip.

"Diglett, stop!" she cried. "Stay still!"

Lt. Surge folded his arms over his chest. "Ah. Giving up?"

Raichu stood, folding its own little arms and wearing much the same expression—a sideways smirk.

Belle grinned back. "I'd never give up. Now!" she shouted. Diglett surfaced right underneath Raichu, throwing the Pokémon up into the air. It squealed, but it righted itself and landed unharmed and catlike.

…Persian-like.

"Impressive," Surge told her. "But I am a Gym Leader. I have seen most things. Raichu! Tackle!"

"Dodge!"

_Schloop!_ Diglett disappeared under the ground and Raichu sailed over it.

"Magnitude!" Belle cried.

And Diglett, summoning all its strength, managed a beautiful Magnitude 8. Raichu was unable to escape as the ground shook.

"Now, Dig!"

With the whole floor shaking, Raichu was unable to sense Diglett's vibrations and dodge; this time, when Diglett hit it, it went sailing into the air and landed in a crumpled heap. It was so fainted it might as well have had Xs over its eyes.

"Raichu is unable to battle! Challenger wins the match!"

Surge withdrew Raichu and stepped forward as Belle jumped up and down happily. The ground ceased its shaking and Diglett happily burrowed its way over to Belle, stopping in front of her to receive its praise. _"Diglett dig!"_

"Yeah, Diglett dig," Belle told it, patting it. "You did a really good job." She pulled out the Pokémon's Poké Ball and allowed it to return before standing up. Lt. Surge came to a stop in front of her.

"You fought well," he said, pulling a hand out of his pocket. He opened his fist; inside it was the Thunder Badge. "You've earned this."

"Thank you so much!" Belle gasped, grabbing the badge from his hands. "Oh, thank you!" She looked up into his harsh, unsmiling face. "How many of these do you go through a year?"

"You're asking about a _year_?" he said. "The numbers I go through a week are staggering, and you wanna know about a year?"

Belle glanced back at the floor behind Surge. "Um…sorry about that." It was now split by numerous cracks and fissures.

"I lead an Electric-type gym. People bring Ground-type Pokémon. It happens all the time. You…you're intuitive. And very familiar-looking. What's your name?"

"Belle," she replied. "Belle Caldwell."

"Caldwell?" Surge frowned. "You know a man by the name of Daniel?"

"He was my father," Belle replied.

Surge continued looking at her quizzically. "_Was_ your father."

"Yes. He…died."

Surge closed his eyes and nodded. "I'm sorry to hear that. He was a strong man."

"You knew him?"

"Of course I did. Before I shipped out to join the army, he came here to challenge the gym. He had an Ivysaur. I challenged him to a battle, and…well…he beat me." Surge laughed. "That Ivysaur was damn strong."

"I used to play with him," Belle said. "Well…by the time I was born, he was a Venosaur, but…"

"Yeah, my son Josh used to play with Raichu here. But listen, Belle. You share your father's talent and instincts. You keep listening to your gut and keep training."

Belle smiled. "Thanks, Lieutenant Surge."

She stayed to watch Derrick battle Surge. He did quite well, seeing as Geodude had actual arms and could pick Raichu up. When they left the city together, they both clutched Thunder Badges.

**To:** dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** THUNDER BADGE!!!

* * *

I GOT MY THUNDER BADGE, I GOT MY THUNDER BADGE, I GOT MY FREAKIN' THUNDER BADGE AND IT FEEEEEEEEEELSSS SSSSOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

That's right ladies, Belle Caldwell has got THREE BADGES. Oh, and to top it all off, Charmy evolved into Charmeleon. Yup! I have now got an evolved Pokémon on my team. w00t!!

Oh, Alyssa, Derrick's tragic past—his little sister drowned and his dad got poisoned by a Tentacruel trying to save her.

*GASP*

I cried when he told me!! Also, I have a Diglett now. Don't think I informed you. Sooo, how was your first daaaay??

And how's the road, Cassandra?

Well, I'd better get going. It's off to spooky haunted Lavender Town for me!!

Love from crazy excited,

Belle

* * *

_Let the reviewing frenzy begin!!! (Please?)_


	23. Chapter 22

Cassandra was quite sure she was going to rip her hair out by the time she and Karen wandered out of Meteor Falls.

"That place is so _stupid_! Why is there a log bridge randomly between two cliffs?"

"Well, we did have to cross it in order to get out," Karen told her. "Cheer up, Cassandra. We're almost to Fallarbor Town."

"Yeah, I guess so." She tugged unhappily on the strap of her backpack and pushed her hair out of her face. She had long since twisted it into a bun, but her bangs insisted on falling into her eyes.

A short trek later, Cassandra and Karen ended up in Fallarbor Town. It wasn't much to speak of; it was small, and ash seemed to be falling from the sky. Its only redeeming quality was the special, Coordinator-only hot spring situated inside the Contest Hall, which Cassandra was already planning to get into.

"Ooh, a hot spring!" Karen said as Cassandra told her about it and they went into the Center. "That'll be fun, won't it, Tuffly?"

"_Wiggly!"_ the Pokémon agreed. Karen didn't seem to have a Poké Ball—and if she did, she wasn't using it. Tuffly walked with them the whole way.

Cassandra went straight to the counter to talk to Nurse Joy. The woman clapped happily when she saw her. "Oh, hello! You're Cassandra Étoile, right?"

"Y-yeah…how did you know?"

"My sister in Verdanturf told me," Nurse Joy replied. "She sent me a video from the DVD she gets complimentary from judging the contest. You were magnificent! And my sister in Rustboro said you got a traveling companion? Where's Karen?"

Cassandra looked over her shoulder and blinked. Karen was nowhere to be found; she had disappeared. "Um…I don't actually know," she replied. "She was right behind me when I walked in. Do you…_know_…Karen?"

"No. But my sister in Rustboro tells me all about her. She loves Pokémon, and she comes into the Pokémon Center every day to help out."

"So…" Cassandra leaned in. "What's up with her parents? Why are they willing to let her run off to Fallarbor Town with a stranger?"

"Well, apparently they're hippies."

"…_hippies_."

"Yes. They are very free-spirited. Both her mother and her father have hair down to their waists, and they believe very much in the unity between Pokémon and humans."

"Great. So do they smoke a lot of dope?"

Nurse Joy laughed appreciatively. "I don't know, Miss Étoile."

"Please, just call me Cassandra."

"I'm ready for the hot spring!"

Cassandra turned and Nurse Joy looked up; Karen stood behind them, looking absolutely adorable in her bright blue one-piece bathing suit. She reminded Cassandra of very brightly-colored cotton candy. The girl did a little twirl; Tuffly turned with her. It was quite a well-choreographed move. Perhaps Karen did have a bit of potential as a Coordinator.

"Great," Cassandra said again. "Is it okay if I drop my Pokémon off here, Nurse Joy? They need a bit of rest. We just came through Meteor Falls."

"No problem," Nurse Joy replied as Cassandra handed over her three Poké Balls.

* * *

"Why, if it isn't Cassandra Étoile."

Cassandra blinked. Sakura Konohana smiled demurely up at her from her place in the hot spring. Her wet red hair tumbled down around her, sprawling out once it got to her shoulders; it wasn't quite as long as Cassandra's. _About Alyssa's length,_ Cassandra thought to herself. She could make out an orange-and-white tail bobbing next to Sakura in the water.

"Let's go, Tuffly!" Karen said, pushing past Cassandra to clamber down into the hot spring.

"_Wiggly!"_ Tuffly followed as best it could; with its giant bulk and tiny arms, it couldn't quite grip the ladder, so it slipped and fell into the hot spring with a splash. Karen laughed happily and wiped the water from her face; Sakura chuckled appreciatively.

Cassandra lowered herself into the water carefully and picked out a place to sit. She sighed happily, relaxing for a moment, before turning to Sakura. "So, what are you doing here? Did you come to watch the contest?"

"Oh, no," Sakura told her. "I'm here to compete."

"But…you lost at Verdanturf," Cassandra said hesitantly. "You have to beat the Normal Rank in order to move on to the Super Rank here in Fallarbor."

Sakura tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, but I competed in the contest directly before the one in which I battled you, and I won. The Normal Rank has theirs more often, so I wanted to move through it as many times as possible before I moved on to the Super Rank. I now believe I have enough experience to win here."

"_Goldeen goldeen,"_ the Pokémon toned from underwater.

Cassandra nodded. "That's cool. Verdanturf Contest Hall has theirs once every few weeks, right? How far apart is Fallarbor's?"

"Theirs is a monthly contest."

"And it's broadcasted on some of the less-watched cable stations," Karen piped up. "Hyper Rank in Slateport City is totally different, though. They have their contests once every two months, and it's widely televised." For a moment, she seemed fixated on the water running through her palms as she scooped it up in her hands. "But the Master Rank in Lilycove City…" The water slid off her fingers again. "They hold their contests…"

"Four times a year," Sakura finished. "So if you don't win the first time, you have to wait a very long time for another contest date."

Cassandra felt her insides bubbling. Four times a year? What if she lost more than once? That would be a _very_ long time to wait for another contest.

The water slipped easily from Karen's hands, splashing delicately into the spring.

**To: **thompson_alyssa

**From: **dancing_through_life

**Subject: **Televised contests!!

* * *

Hey Alyssa!!

They actually start televising contests at the Super Rank, but only on lesser-watched channels…so you may not be able to see my Fallarbor performance unless I send you something.

Sorry your first day sucked. Things will get better!! At least you have a hot guy to flirt with while you work…contests are total taco-fests.

Did I actually just put that?

Anyway, I'll email you later!

Love you lots,

Cassandra

* * *

_Okay, now to thank all my reviewers!! Sorry, no two-for-one today. ^_^_

_**mo12341234 **(It's a good thing I allow anonymous reviews, then. ^_^)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Ha, yeah, he was a good trainer...*mourns softly for Belle's loss*)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Ha, Belle does kinda set a whirlwind pace, doesn't she? Hm...how interesting that I just now noticed that about my very own character. 0.o)_


	24. Chapter 23

After taking a full day wandering through some strange grass maze peppered with random trainers and then a series of piers with tons of fisherman, Belle and Derrick emerged between two cliffs to find themselves in Lavender Town.

Belle squinted up at Pokémon Tower. Tall and gray, it stretched into the sky above them, obviously the town's landmark.

"_Ooo_kay," Derrick said, hurrying forward. "Let's just get out of here."

"Don't be retarded," Belle snapped. "We have to rest our Pokémon, and I'm tired too. Plus, it's almost dark. Let's find the PokéCenter."

"No, please," Derrick begged as she started forward and grabbed his wrist. "It's so creepy here…"

They passed by a large house labeled the Pokémon Volunteer House and found the Pokémon Center. It seemed bright and cheery compared to Pokémon Tower. The glass door slid open automatically and they stepped in.

Only a few trainers occupied the Center, and they were all grouped around one round table, leaning in and speaking in hushed voices. Belle glanced over at them, straining nosily to hear their conversation. One of them, a girl, gasped. "An HM?" she said. The others quickly shushed her.

"At the top of the tower," said the boy across from her. "But there are tons of Ghost Pokémon up there…vicious ones."

"How vicious?" asked another.

One of the trainers, who had been silent before, leaned forward. His face had been cast in shadow, but now, as he brought it into the light, they could all see that it was deadly pale. "_Extremely_ vicious," he said, his whispery voice shaking.

Belle walked quickly to the counter, where Derrick was handing his Pokémon over to Nurse Joy. "Did you hear that?" she whispered excitedly.

"Extremely vicious ghosts? Yeah! I did!" Derrick pushed a bit of his blonde hair out of his eyes, which were wide with fear.

"No," Belle said impatiently. "The HM at the top of the tower."

"You're not seriously thinking of going," he said.

"Why not?"

"_Extremely vicious ghosts_. Hello?"

Belle shrugged. "Well, I'll go, and you can wait here."

"Please don't go," he begged as she handed her Poké Balls to Nurse Joy. "Please, please don't."

"I'm not going to pass up that HM," Belle retorted. "I'm just _not_."

"Then…wait till tomorrow," Derrick said. "It's dark out."

She blinked. He seemed extremely worried, that much she could tell. His forehead was creased and he was frowning. A bit of blonde bangs fuzzed over his gray eyes, and he pushed them out of his face as he looked at her.

"All right. I'll wait until morning. You sure you don't want to go, though?"

"Positive."

Later, all the other trainers had fallen asleep, but Belle and Derrick lay side-by-side in the dark.

"Why do you want to go?" Derrick asked her.

Belle shifted. "I want that HM."

"What about the vicious ghosts?"

She shrugged noncommittally. Derrick saw her outline faintly, and he scoffed. "You're so stubborn. All girls must be."

"What makes you say that?"

"Koko was too."

A strange silence fell upon them like rain; not heavy or awkward, but graceful and serene. It washed over them, drenching them.

Belle pulled her arms out of her sleeping bag and placed them by her sides. "I never told you how my dad died."

Derrick said nothing. He didn't even move; the only sounds were the light snores of a redheaded boy in another section of the lobby.

"He was a Pokémon Trainer. But he wasn't one of those that just quit after a while, you know? He was dedicated. He started off here in Kanto, and then went off to the Pokémon League. He didn't win, but he got to the semi-finals. And then he went to Johto."

Out of the corner of her eye, she vaguely saw Derrick's form shifting in his sleeping bag. After he settled down again, she continued. "He met my mom there…in Goldenrod City. She was passing through on her own Journey. She was originally from Ecruteak, and she was going back for a gym battle. Dad said he fell in love with Mom as soon as he saw her."

"What's your mom's name?" Derrick asked her.

"Terra. Terra Caldwell…but back then, it was Terra Carson. Why?"

"Just…feels like it's more real that way."

Belle considered this for a moment. "Then, what's your mom's name?"

"Angelina Evans. But Dad called her Angel…his Angel."

"And your dad's name?"

"Joseph. Mom called him Joey. Your dad's name?"

"Daniel. Mom didn't have any nicknames for him."

"Ah. Okay. Sorry to interrupt. Please go on."

"So, they traveled together. They were both heading to Ecruteak, so they decided…why not? At the end of it, they were in love, and they got married and had me. Mom was done with her Journey, so they moved to Cherrygrove City—it's not a city, I have no idea why it's called that—to settle down."

"But you said your dad was dedicated."

"He was. He lived there for a few years…and then he told Mom that he wanted to go to Hoenn. So he did. He packed up all his Pokémon. He wanted us to go, but Mom said no. She said that it was no life for a child, but we'd be waiting for him to get back."

"Did he come back?"

"Yes. From Hoenn, he did. And he brought some new Pokémon for me to play with. He stayed with us for a few more years, and then he decided to go to Sinnoh. And then, he said, he'd be done."

"Done?"

"Yeah. After you beat all the gyms in all the regions, there's not much else to do, is there?" Belle smiled ruefully up at the ceiling. "So he went. While he was away, Mom discovered she was pregnant."

"Derek."

Belle blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Your little brother, Derek. He spells it D-E-R-E-K, right?"

"Oh. Yeah." She vaguely remembered telling him such when they first met. "Well, anyway, not long after Derek was born, an Officer Jenny visited our house." Suddenly, Belle's voice cracked, and she closed her eyes, taking a few moments to compose herself. "She told us…that Dad had tried to stop Team Galactic from doing something."

"Team Galactic?" Derrick said. "I hear they're hooking up with Team Rocket now."

"What does Team Rocket even _do_?" Belle asked.

"Steal Pokémon!"

"And then what? What do they do with them?"

Derrick was quiet for a moment. "No idea. But continue. Team Galactic."

"Right. Well, Team Galactic actually _does_ stuff. They're always trying to make the world better with this perverse, twisted logic. And Dad got in the way of that. Apparently, they were torturing somebody, and Dad stepped in to take care of them. Well, in the real world, people don't just fight with Pokémon." Belle drew a deep, shaky breath. She could feel a lump rising in her throat, and her eyes began to burn. "They…killed him. No trace of his body was ever found." Her voice was shaking, but it was beyond her control. She had never really gone into much detail about this, not even with Cassandra and Alyssa. It was hard. "He was coming home to see Derek. He never got to. And Derek never knew him." She sniffed. "Derek has his eyes, you know," she said as a few tears leaked out of her own. "They're blue. When he looks at me, it's like…Dad's looking at me again." Her voice didn't sound as though it belonged to her. It was foreign; she had never talked and cried at the same time before.

Derrick moved in his sleeping bag, and a moment later, Belle felt his hand brush her arm. He gently pushed her hand to lay palm up, and he laced his fingers through hers and squeezed.

They fell asleep holding hands.

* * *

When Belle awoke, she was lying on her side, facing Derrick. He faced her as well; they were now holding hands with the opposite ones. How they had switched during the night, she had no idea. He was still asleep; his lips were slightly parted, and she could see his back rising and falling underneath his blanket. He looked so sweet with his eyes closed, his eyelashes gently curving against his cheek. His hair fell softly around his head. As she watched him sleep, she thought back to something she had put in an email to Alyssa.

_He's more like a pest than a potential boyfriend._

Belle's gaze fell to their interlocked fingers. Well, what was he now?

She pulled her hand away from his and got up. She grabbed some clothes out of her bag and headed for the shower. Would this change things?

When Belle came back out, Derrick was sitting up in his sleeping bag, digging the heel of his hand into one eye. He looked up at her and smiled. "Good morning!"

"Morning," Belle replied as she came back to her sleeping bag and knelt on it. "I'm going to Pokémon Tower today."

Derrick groaned and fell back on his pillow. "I'm scared for you."

She paused and glanced over at him. _I'm scared for you._

"Please don't go."

"I'm going, and you can't stop me. I'm leaving _now_." She hooked her Poké Balls to her belt and stood.

Derrick sat up and caught her wrist gently; she looked down at him, at his worried expression, his tousled blonde hair, his gray eyes that still looked a little sleepy. "I'd feel better," he said, "if you'd send Charmy out to walk with you."

Belle raised her eyebrows. "You'd feel better?"

He nodded. "I'd be less worried."

"Less worried."

He nodded again.

Belle plucked Charmy's Poké Ball off her belt and tossed it out in front of her. With a cry, it burst out of its Poké Ball, and then looked around, confused.

"There's no battle. I just want you to walk with me."

Charmy seemed happy about that. It took its place by her side, holding her hand with its claw like it did when it was a Charmander. Belle gave Derrick a little wave as she left the PokéCenter.

Pokémon Tower was an extremely short walk. It seemed to be busy today; Belle found this odd. She slipped in the front doors.

The lobby area was full of people, all dressed in black. "This seems a little morbid, Charmy," she said quietly. The Pokémon responded with a soft noise of agreement.

And then she realized—everyone looked sad. Even the woman at the reception counter wore an expression of pain. Belle weaved her way through the crowd, catching snatches of conversation.

"So young…why did it have to…?"

"She must be devastated."

"What happened to it?"

"Birth complications. Poor thing only lasted a few months."

Belle finally found her way to the back of the room and stopped short. A small table was draped in a white cloth, and a small black box rested on top. The top of the box was open, and three people stood in front of it, gazing at its contents. The first was a woman, dressed in a black, floor-length dress. The second was a man, probably her husband, wearing a black suit. Between them was a small girl of about five. Her light brown hair was held back with purple barrettes, and she wore a little black dress trimmed with white lace. She didn't appear to be looking at the box; her head was bowed, her eyes closed.

"Come on, dear," the woman said gently, taking her daughter's hand. "There's nothing we can do to help him now."

The girl nodded. When she turned, Belle caught sight of the little family's faces; all of them looked incredibly sad, their eyes red and puffy. The little girl had tears running down her face, and she kept her eyes on her shiny black shoes as they walked away from the box.

Belle was now alone; she glanced around to see if anyone was watching this intruder, this girl wearing shorts and a dark green T-shirt, step up to the box and look in. Charmy came with her. They both stared into the box, and Belle's eyes widened.

Inside was the body of a baby Pichu. It could have been sleeping, except for the multitude of people dressed in black milling around in the lobby. A small picture in a wooden frame leaned against the box—it was a snapshot of the little girl Belle had just seen, happily cradling a very alive-looking Pichu.

This Pichu was dead.

All the snatches of conversation Belle had caught made sense now. This was a funeral…a funeral for a baby Pokémon. She backed away from the casket—now she realized what it was—and turned to go up the stairs, moving away from the sadness before it threatened to overtake her. Pokémon died? She had never thought about it. But it made sense—everything died, everything ended. But why this? Why a baby?

Belle came to the second floor and looked around. Tombstones stretched out before her, gleaming white. She reached for Charmy's claw again, and he held her hand. She glanced down and saw the tears welling up in her Pokémon's eyes. Pokémon Tower. This place was a tower, and each floor would have tombstones. Each tombstone represented a dead Pokémon, someone's dead friend, someone's Charmy…someone's Pichu.

Belle felt the sobs coming before they broke out of her, ringing in the silence of the tower. Charmy stepped forward and wrapped its arms around her, pressing its face into her stomach, comforting her. She laid a hand on the back of its head and bowed her own.

When she had regained her composure, Belle progressed to the top of the tower to get the HM. No vicious ghosts plagued her; perhaps they only bothered people who didn't understand. She moved slowly, touching all the tombstones that came within her reach and whispering sorrowfully to them. When she finally got back to the lobby, the Pichu funeral was long over; the casket and table were gone. She slipped out of the Tower and into the night air.

Had it really taken her that long? She walked back to the PokéCenter, Charmy delicately holding her hand. She drew a deep breath before she went in.

The trainers that had spoken of vicious ghosts had left, but a few new trainers sat at the same table, playing cards, blissfully unaware of the air of sorrow that ran thick through Pokémon Tower. Derrick sat with them; he turned and waved happily to her.

"Belle!" he said cheerily. She forced a smile and walked over. "Want to play cards?"

"No thanks," she heard herself reply as if from far away. "I'm tired…I think I'll just take a shower and get to bed early."

"Did you get the HM?"

She nodded. "We'll leave in the morning, if that's okay."

"Hallelujah!" Derrick said happily, slapping the table. "Away from here to Celadon!"

"Yeah," Belle said, and she went over to gather her things for her shower.

That night, Belle laid in her sleeping bag and waited for Derrick to fall asleep beside her. There was no hand-holding that night. Instead, when he was asleep, she slid out of her bedroll fully dressed and packed everything up. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before turning and leaving the Center. She sent Charmy out to walk with her as she left Lavender Town behind, heading to Celadon City on her own.

There was no way she could burden him with anything she saw or felt in Lavender Tower.

**To: **dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** blank

* * *

Derrick and I aren't traveling together anymore. I'm heading to Celadon City now. Erika's gym is there. I'll email you guys telling you how the battle turned out.

Love,

Belle

* * *

_Sorry---it was a really long wait, and then it was a sad chapter. I've been busy, so I haven't had much time to work on this. I'm trying to get back to it!! *fierce determination* But thank you to the reviewers!!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Well, things were looking up for the girls...)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Thanks! ^_^ I'm glad you like Karen!)_

_**Augustine May **(Thanks so much! I hope I didn't disappoint with my Lavender Town chapter...)_


	25. Chapter 24

Over the past week, Barlow had started giving Alyssa increasingly more difficult tasks. Alyssa had risen to the challenge wonderfully, much to Barlow's pleasure. Now she walked in happily, brushing the bangs out of her eyes.

But something was off.

Everyone inside was panicking, running around, yelling, wide-eyed and scared. Finally, Barlow bellowed _"Quiet!"_ at the top of his lungs, making everyone stop.

"We have to keep our heads!" Barlow told everyone. "Crawford, you and I will go to the school. Rookies, patrol the beach."

"What's going on?" Alyssa asked.

"Bomb threat at the Ranger School," Ian told her, appearing beside her. "And Barlow doesn't think we can handle it."

"Bomb threat?" Alyssa snapped suddenly. "It's summer vacation! Who's there?"

"They're doing a sort of student orientation thing at the moment," Luanne piped up. "People just coming into the school are there, touring and such."

"But…that means…" Alyssa looked up at Ian, who nodded.

"Yep. The school is full of small children right now."

Children entered the Ranger School at age five, and they continued their education on up till age sixteen. Except for the occasional transfer, students at the school grew up together.

"Who put in the threat?" Alyssa demanded.

"Some group of weirdos dressed as spacemen," Barlow replied. "They call themselves Team Galactic. Crawford and I need to get down there now. Ian, Alyssa, you two patrol the beach—cut off their escape."

"They won't need the beach to escape! There's water by the school! They could have a boat there!" Ian said angrily.

"Do what I say," Barlow snarled.

"What about me?" Luanne asked.

"You stay here and guard the base."

"What?"

"Your Partner Pokémon is a Buneary," Barlow said, pointing out the little Pokémon beside her. "It's useless. Come on, Crawford!"

"Come on, Alyssa." Ian angrily turned and left the base, heading for the beach.

"This is _stupid_!" Alyssa cried, kicking sand up. Ziggy used Sand Attack in imitation. "There's a bomb threat on our _school_, and we can't even help!"

Ian growled in response and ran the fingers of both hands furiously through his hair, seeming to pull at it as he got near the back. "What kind of a sick weirdo threatens a school full of children?" Prinplup muttered angrily beside him before waddling off toward the ocean.

Alyssa squinted up at the sky, which was a clear, peaceful blue. She imagined it full of smoke, a mushroom cloud blossoming in the distance. "I feel so useless," she said finally, trying to rid herself of the images.

"Me too." Ian sighed and plopped down on the sand, propping his elbows up on his knees. "There's no way we can help at _all_. If we try to go over to the school ourselves, we'll probably just end up getting in Barlow and Crawford's way." He pushed his face into his hand, closing his eyes. "And…what if they blow up the school?" he said quietly after a long pause. "What if…all those children get badly burned? Or worse…what if they _die_?"

Alyssa wrapped her arms around her stomach. "Barlow and Crawford will know what to do," she said forcefully, trying to reassure herself. Silence descended upon them for a while before Alyssa found the courage to speak again. "Um…Ian? Is…is this the kind of thing you have to deal with a lot?"

Ian nodded.

"This worry? The fear of…death?"

He nodded again.

"Is this a big part of being a Ranger?"

"It's a _huge_ part of being a Ranger." Ian dropped his hand from his face. "I didn't expect it, but the worry…it's intense. It's exciting, sure, but the danger isn't always just yours, just something _you_ face, alone. Often, people and Pokémon are in danger, too. Oh, and you know how everyone tells you that all Pokémon are good?" He glanced sideways up at her, waiting for her to nod. When she did, he continued. "Don't believe that. There are mean Pokémon. Evil Pokémon. A lot of being a Ranger is un-learning some things you learned. Did you hear that?" he snapped suddenly, springing to his feet.

Alyssa's head was still reeling with the term _evil Pokémon_. "No," she replied.

Ian shushed her. After a few seconds of silence, she heard it, too—voices, faint shouting, coming from Vientown.

"Who is it?" Alyssa asked.

"No one I recognize. It might be best to hide." He ran past her, grabbing her and pulling her along by her wrist. "Prinplup! Underwater!"

Prinplup ducked quickly under the water; Ziggy followed Alyssa and Ian into the crazily-growing shrubbery by the entrance of Marine Cave. Alyssa pulled the Zigzagoon into her lap as she crouched down, peering out at the beach.

About ten or fifteen people came rushing onto the sand, all dressed in strange spacesuits with short, bright blue hair. A _G_ could clearly be seen on their chests.

The leader was a man of about twenty; he led the pack across the beach, yelling, "To the hideout!" They sped right past Alyssa and Ian's hiding spot, jostling and shouting as they disappeared into the cave. The leader at the front yelled for order, but no one listened.

After they were gone, Alyssa and Ian glanced at each other. "We have to go in after them," Alyssa whispered.

Ian nodded.

The two Rangers made their way stealthily after Team Galactic, who led them deeper and deeper into Marine Cave. Stalagmites and stalactites jutted up from the floor and down from the ceiling, dripping water.

Finally, Team Galactic arrived at their hideout. It was a huge cavern that seemed as though it had been here naturally, but Galactic had done a few things to it; it was coated with what Alyssa was sure was a soundproof metal, and the cave floor had obviously been flattened. On the far side of the cavern, the floor ended and water began. What looked like several submarines floated in a makeshift harbor. Even more members of Team Galactic teemed throughout the hideout, doing various tasks with Pokémon.

"Listen!" shouted the leader as he entered the cave; Ian pulled Alyssa behind a boulder. "The Rangers thwarted our plan. I'm not sure how long we have to get out, because they may have followed us. We'll have to destroy the hideout. Load up the submarines!"

An explosion of activity ensued; Alyssa and Ian watched intently as they loaded up. "How do they plan to destroy this place?"

"With a Galactic Bomb."

The two whirled around; they were being watched. A man stood before them. He had dark blue hair that looked quite like cat-ears, and his outfit looked different from the rest of Team Galactic's. His shirt and pants were relatively simple, yet still had that stupid spaceman look to them.

"Well…if we don't have some intruders."

"Who are you?" Ian snapped. Ziggy pressed against Alyssa's legs fearfully.

"I am Commander Saturn. But perhaps you aren't in the right position to be asking such questions."

Alyssa launched herself at Saturn; he was too surprised to fight back. She knocked him to the ground and put a hand over his mouth. "Ian, we have to get out of here!" she said.

"Right," Ian replied. "But if they use a bomb to blow up the cavern, they'll kill hundreds of Pokémon. They're too deep underground for an explosion to bother anyone in Vientown."

"What do we do? Stop struggling," Alyssa said crossly to Saturn, and she picked up his head and banged it against the cave floor. His eyes crossed and he fell still. She stood up, dusting herself off.

"Well, we can take him in as a prisoner," Ian said, gesturing towards Saturn. "My bet is they won't set off the bomb until everyone's accounted for, so…"

"But they'll come looking for him. He's a commander. There's only two of us, Ian! There's, like, a _million_ of them! It's not like we can fight them off."

"We need backup or something…I'll see if I can get a signal on my Styler. I can use it to contact the base." He pulled out his Styler and began fiddling with it. Alyssa looked around worriedly as he did so, making sure no one came near. After a while, Ian sighed. "I can't get a signal," he told her. "It's too far underground. Alyssa…we're on our own."

Alyssa raked her fingers through her hair, effectively messing up her ponytail. "Okay…okay. Options. What are our options?"

"We could run away," Ian said, "and not do anything, and let hundreds of Pokémon die."

"Okay, Option Number One—do nothing. Vetoed. We won't take it."

"We could run in there and make demands."

"Option Number Two—suicide. Vetoed."

"We could…uh…run out of here and grab as many Pokémon as we can."

"Option Number Three—do what we can. Possible."

Ian fell silent. Alyssa frowned. "We have to have more options than that," she said. "Okay, how about this. One of us runs up and tries to get a signal on the Styler while grabbing as many Pokémon as we can. The other stays here and watches to see when they set up the bomb. I'm sure they'll clear out of the cavern before they detonate it, so whoever's here will run out and try to disarm it."

"Option Number Four—partial suicide," Ian said.

"We could steal his outfit." Alyssa pointed to Saturn. "We could pose as a member of Galactic and…do _something_. Why is this so hard?"

"Wait!" cried the leader from before. Alyssa and Ian turned as he cried out, listening worriedly. "Has anyone seen Commander Saturn?"

There was a chorus of "No, sir!" from the members. The leader yelled out two names; two identical people came out of the crowd. Why did all the members of Team Galactic look exactly the same? "Go up the passage. See if we're being followed and look for Commander Saturn."

"Dammit," Ian mumbled. He grabbed hold of Saturn's feet. "We have to hide him."

Alyssa scooped her hands under the man's armpits and lifted; they stuffed his limp body behind a nearby boulder, arranging him so that none of him would show. She and Ian then hid in their original hiding place, scrambling to get out of sight as the two members of Team Galactic came passing through.

"D'you hear something?" asked one as they passed Ian and Alyssa's boulder.

"No," the other one replied. Then he stopped. "What the hell is that? Is that a _hand_?"

Alyssa almost said a very dirty word. Saturn's arm had fallen in such a way that his hand was visible. The two Galactic grunts rushed toward him. "It's Commander Saturn!" cried one of them. "Oh my God, he's unconscious! This means we've been followed. There are intruders!"

"Help me carry him," said the other. "SIR!"

The two grunts waddled off carrying Saturn's body between them, the head lolling on its shoulder.

Saturn's unconscious body caused a huge commotion. "We have no time to waste! Set up the bomb _now_! Return your Pokémon to their Poké Balls! Leave what you have unless it's marked top priority; get in your assigned submarine! Numbers one through fifty, Submarine A! Numbers fifty-one through one hundred, Submarine B! Numbers—"

The leader continued to call out submarine assignments. "We can't do anything," Alyssa said. "We can't stop the bomb."

"We could disarm it once they've left," Ian suggested.

"But what if it's a remote detonator?" Alyssa asked. "We won't have any way of knowing how much time we have."

Ian closed his eyes and pressed his face into his hands. He stood like that for what seemed like ages. Finally, he lowered his hands and looked sadly over at Alyssa.

"Option Number Three," he said faintly.

Alyssa sighed. "I wish we could do more," she said.

"Me too."

She tightened her ponytail and pulled out her Styler. "Things are going to get crazy," she told Ziggy. "Okay…how about this. We'll have to keep checking our Stylers. When we get signal, we'll contact the base."

"Oh God…we _were _followed."

_Not again,_ Alyssa thought as she turned to see a grunt, a man of about twenty. "Ziggy, Headbutt!"

Ziggy did so, launching himself at the man. "Ian, can you carry him?" Alyssa asked as Ziggy's head made contact with the man's stomach. His head cracked against the cave wall.

"Yeah, I'll get him. We'll take him to the base for questioning."

The next few moments were spent running around and capturing as many Pokémon as they could; of course, they had a limit of seven. After they reached that, they had to physically grab wild Pokémon. Ziggy and the seven others that Alyssa had with her tried to communicate the danger to the other Pokémon, so Alyssa and Ian, after a while, were running with a giant crowd of Pokémon all around them; Zubats flew overhead, Geodudes levitated around them and past them, Poliwhirls with baby Poliwags clutched in their arms ran around them, with one Poliwrath bellowing as they passed.

"I got signal!" Ian cried joyously.

"Me too!"

"It's too late," mumbled the grunt. He was being carried by a Graveler. Both Ian and Alyssa looked at him. "The bomb…will be going off soon…"

"How do you know?" Ian asked.

"We don't waste time…"

And then they heard it; the great _boom!_ that resounded beneath their feet, from behind them, all around them. The walls of the cave began to shake; in one huge mass, the Pokémon pushed upward and out. Ziggy leapt onto Alyssa's back and hung there as the Pokémon seemed to sweep her along. Even if she wanted to go back, Alyssa couldn't; the Pokémon were carrying her now. The Poliwrath, determined to help her because she had helped its family, held her up over his head as he bellowed to the other Pokémon in the cave that may not have heard.

The mass pushed along the cave passageways; the entire cave was still shaking. The bomb had triggered major collapses.

After what seemed like forever, the cave stopped shaking and the mob of Pokémon stopped moving. Poliwrath gently set Alyssa down; she and Ian released their Pokémon, and there was a new commotion as they all gathered, shrieking and calling to make sure their families were all present and accounted for.

Ian and Alyssa made their way to each other. "I'm calling Barlow," Ian said, holding up his Styler. Alyssa nodded.

"I'm gonna go back as far as I can to see if I can help anyone."

"It's too dangerous," Ian said. "Don't—Alyssa, dammit, come back here!"

But Alyssa was leaping deftly over rocks and contracting the help of Pokémon as she went.

Some caverns had been empty, thanks to Alyssa and Ian's efforts…but Alyssa found dead Pokémon in the remnants of other caverns. She placed a hand over her mouth as she and her entourage of Gravelers picked their way through the cave. After a while of seeing nothing but dead Geodudes, dead Zubats, dead Poliwhirls, Alyssa gave up. Ziggy, noticing her sorrow, nudged his nose into her cheek.

Right as she was about to turn back, Alyssa caught sight of something. She bent and shifted a rock to take a closer look, but stepped back immediately; it was a dead Poliwag, just a baby. Alyssa's eyes filled with tears; the Gravelers gathered around her and stared at the little baby.

When Alyssa came back up, Ziggy was still riding her back, and she had the dead Poliwag in her arms. Ian ran to her, ready to scold her, until he saw her expression and the way she slumped visibly as she walked. _I must look terrible,_ she thought; she knew that dirt and debris had gotten all over her, and now tears had left grimy tracks down her cheeks.

Ian stood in front of her and put a hand on the Poliwag's stomach. "Are they all…?"

Alyssa looked up from the little Poliwag's face. "No survivors."

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From: **thompson_alyssa

**Subject: **This is hard…

* * *

Being a Ranger is a lot harder than I thought it would be. I can't give you all the details right now…I'm too shaken up. But Team Galactic set off a bomb in Marine Cave and killed a bunch of Pokémon. Ian and I saved as many as we could, but…we couldn't save all of them. I'm very sad. I don't even think I'd ever thought about Pokémon dying.

By the way, did you get Belle's last email? It didn't seem like she was feeling very well. I hope she's okay.

Love from the sad,

Alyssa

* * *

_OMIGOSH I'm so sorry!! I have been extremely busy---finals are coming up---and I didn't mean to neglect my story so much!!! So here is a somewhat intense new chapter. I'll try to post Chapter 25 next week. I AM SO SORRY!!!_

_So, now I'll thank all my reviewers!!_

_**Yereton **(Yeah, a lot is happening with Belle...)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Thanks!! ^_^ But yeah, it was sad.)_

_**MiddleNameDanger **(Wow! Thanks for your kind praise!! ^_^)_

_Okay everybody...I'm really sorry for the dead space, but don't punish me by not reviewing!! That will make a sad Mav. =(_


	26. Chapter 25

Cassandra's eyes fluttered groggily as Karen nudged her awake. Today, the girl's hair was in a ponytail almost on top of her head, with her bright pink hair falling in curls behind her. Cassandra groaned and shut her eyes immediately, not wanting them to be assaulted with colors too early in the morning.

"Get up!" Karen chirped. "We need to get to the Contest building. You need to register for the soonest date, and then you need to get training!"

Cassandra mumbled something incoherent as she rolled over on her side in the bed. She had paid for a room in a hotel; Joanna periodically wired money into her account. Cassandra had considered not using the money and staying in the PokéCenter, but it was too noisy for her.

The only hotel available was a small one on Route 113 called the Poké Love. It was rather quaint—or, it would have been, had it not been covered in ash all the time. The woman who ran the place strived to keep it clean on the inside to make up for the outside. She had been positively delighted to see that a promising young Coordinator was staying in her inn, and had put her up in the best room available.

"Get up," Karen repeated, and Cassandra finally pushed the ivy-patterned blankets off her body and sat up, stretching and yawning. "I went through your clothes and decided what you should wear to the Contest Hall."

"_What_?" Cassandra snapped, suddenly alert. She stood up.

"Here! I laid them out on my bed!"

"Karen, what the—don't go through my stuff!"

Karen pouted, and Tuffly came out of the bathroom—_What was it doing in there? _Cassandra wondered briefly—and made big, round, blue, watery eyes at Cassandra. "But I _like_ picking out outfits," Karen mumbled softly.

"Fine," Cassandra muttered, looking over at what Karen had laid out. She had to admit that the girl had taste. Lying on the bed was a green knee-length skirt with an off-white camisole to be worn beneath a translucent, light green shirt. "This is good," Cassandra admitted as she picked up the skirt. "I might let you do my outfits for Contests."

"Really?" Karen squealed, clapping her hands together. They made a muffled noise—the sleeves of her hoodie were fashioned to be too long, and only her fingertips poked out.

"Don't get too excited." Cassandra changed in the bathroom and allowed Karen to do her hair—she pinned the front part of it back and let the rest lay softly on her shoulders—before they set off.

It was a ten-minute trek to Fallarbor Town. On the way, Karen insisted on bobbing along beside her with a large pink umbrella, keeping the falling ash off her "carefully-selected outfit". The Contest Hall seemed bright and garish, the only brightly-colored building in the town. No one stood outside, but then again, Cassandra wouldn't expect them to in this weather.

Inside the Contest Hall, Cassandra finally breathed freely. It was noisy, the air was conditioned, colors and Pokémon abounded…she was home.

"Come on, the register desk!" Karen closed her giant umbrella and handed it to Tuffly, who carried the item as it followed the girls to the register desk. To her surprise, Cassandra got into line behind Sakura Konohana.

Sakura turned around and smiled. "Oh, hello," she said. She wore a light blue kimono with a dark blue obi, and her hair was pulled into a tight bun behind her head. "Isn't it a coincidence that we came to register on the same day."

"I thought that you would have registered sooner," Cassandra said. "You were here before us."

"Oh, I only arrived a day before you did," Sakura replied with a gentle smile. "I decided to rest and enjoy the hot springs for a while. Are you staying at the Poké Love?"

"Yeah, we are."

"How nice! I am as well. After this, we should do something together."

Cassandra smiled. "Okay. Would you be up for that, Karen?" she added, turning to the girl. Surprisingly, the girl was looking at Sakura with her head cocked and a quizzical expression on her face.

"Karen?" Cassandra prompted gently.

After a while, Karen nodded slowly. "If you like."

_This girl is so weird, _Cassandra thought. "Well, that settles it. What should we do?"

"Lavaridge is near here," Karen said thoughtfully.

"There's barely anything to do in Lavaridge, though," Sakura replied. "It's almost as bad as here. Oh, I wish I had a Flying Pokémon…we could go to Lilycove and go shopping."

Cassandra winced. She always associated the words "Lilycove" and "shopping" with her mother, especially if they were in the same sentence. "Well, maybe we should just have some lunch together or something," Cassandra suggested. "I've got to get training, anyway."

"Your Pokémon is Swablu, is it not?"

"Yes," Cassandra replied. "But I'm thinking of entering Finny into this one."

Sakura raised a perfect orange eyebrow. "_Finny_?"

"My Mudkip. Well, soon-to-be Marshtomp, probably."

"A Marshtomp? In a Contest? My, won't that be interesting…" Sakura was next in line, so she turned away from them, pulling a fan from her sleeve and pressing it against her lips as she did so. She stepped up to the counter and Karen grabbed Cassandra's sleeve.

"I don't like her," Karen whispered matter-of-factly. "There's something…strange…about her. Something fishy."

Cassandra glanced at Sakura talking to the register woman and smiling behind her fan, which she now opened with a flourish and began to wave gently. "She seems nice enough."

"_Seems_," Karen said emphatically. Cassandra frowned.

"Incidentally," Sakura was saying to the woman, "do you know if any of the judges are here today? I'd like to introduce myself."

"Maybe I should introduce myself to the judges, too," Cassandra muttered to Karen. "Do you think that would increase my chances?"

"If you slipped them some money, probably," Karen replied good-naturedly.

"_Karen_! People don't bribe in Contests!"

Karen shook her head. "You might not. But I'm sure others do."

"That's just wrong," Cassandra told her crossly.

"I'll meet you at the door," Sakura said, turning back to face them and shutting her fan with a snap. "Wait for me if you get there first." And then she turned and walked off, quickly becoming lost in the hustle-and-bustle of the Contest Hall.

Cassandra stepped up to the counter to register. She signed up for the closest date—three weeks away—and showed the woman Finny. "Um, he's going to evolve soon," Cassandra told her, "or…at least, I _think_ so."

"If he evolves before your contest date, you _must _bring him back here for a second inspection. If you fail to do so, you will be disqualified from the Contest."

"Okay then." Cassandra allowed the woman to inspect Finny before returning the Pokémon to its Poké Ball and turning away. She walked towards the door, but Sakura wasn't there.

"Sakura's over there," Karen said, pointing. Cassandra sighed.

"We're going to wait for her at the door."

"But look."

Cassandra did. Sakura was talking to one of the judges, an older, bald man wearing a suit. As they watched, she set the tip of the closed fan on her lips and closed her eyes as she smiled. Then, her other hand poked out of her sleeve as she reached to shake his hand. After what looked like a firm handshake, Sakura gave a small bow and walked away, leaving the man by himself.

"He put his hand in his pocket," Karen said matter-of-factly.

"You're observant. Is the ash still falling outside?" Cassandra leaned toward one of the large windows in the front of the building. "Ah, get your umbrella ready, Karen."

"Tuffly," Karen said, holding her hand out for the umbrella.

"A pink umbrella to match your pink hair and Pokémon…well, that's quite stylish." Sakura arrived with a smile, tucking her fan into her sleeve. "I think I saw a cute little café down the road. Shall we go look?"

After lunch at the café, Cassandra, Karen, Sakura, and Tuffly all walked together back to the Poké Love. Sakura went to her room "to rest"; Cassandra went to her room to change into clothes she wouldn't mind getting dirty so she could train.

"I don't understand why you don't like Sakura," Cassandra said to Karen as she pulled out a pair of jeans.

"There's just something fishy about her," Karen said absentmindedly. She was sitting on her bed, coloring in a coloring book.

"Well, I think she's nice."

"Just don't tell her any secrets or anything."

Rolling her eyes, Cassandra went to the bathroom to change into her jeans and T-shirt. When she was done, she hung her clothes up in the room's closet and gathered her Poké Balls off her bed. "I'm going to go train along Route 113. You wanna come?"

"No," Karen replied, frowning as she moved a sky-blue crayon along the paper. "I'm doing something very important."

Cassandra let those words hang in the air for a moment as she stared at her companion, whose brow was furrowed as she selected another crayon. "Right. Well, if you need me, you know where to find me."

"Yes."

* * *

**To:** thompson_alyssa

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** !!!

* * *

Alyssa, your job sounds terrible! If it were me, I don't know what I would do with myself…seeing Pokémon dying…but I know you're stronger than I am, and you can keep on fighting despite the sadness, right?

You're right about Belle's last email. It worried me a little, too. Why do you think she and Derrick aren't traveling together anymore? Do you think they had some kind of fight? You know how Belle gets when she's upset…all withdrawn and stuff. Maybe she's just tired, though. We'll wait for her next email.

Well, anyway, I'm going to bed now…stay strong, Alyssa!

Love always,

Cassandra

* * *

_Okay, so I'm trying to update faster now, but I may have a bit of lag between chapters. DON'T KILL ME!!! Now, thanks to my awesome reviewers!!_

_**Raylena Starrling **(Yeah...='( She tries.)_

_**Mo12341234 **(It's okay! This one wasn't sad. ^_^)_

_**Kai-Chan94 **(Thank you so much!!! XD)_

_Thanks to everybody!! Please don't stop reviewing, or I'll be sad. T_T You don't want to make me sad, do you??_


	27. Chapter 26

Belle arrived in Celadon City with newly-evolved Primape, Dugtrio, and Pidgeotto, as well as a reluctant Oddish that had quickly turned into a Gloom. Despite her overwhelming sadness, she couldn't help but marvel at the huge buildings that surrounded her. She had felt this way in Saffron, too, especially next to the Silph building.

At the PokéCenter, Belle had to grab onto Charmy's claw to keep from losing him among the mass of bodies (she had taken to letting Charmy out of his Ball to be her traveling companion). She wondered vaguely where she would sleep tonight as she allowed Nurse Joy to heal her Pokémon. When she finally left the Center, she breathed in a sigh of relief and set off on the busy streets to explore the town.

Derrick would no doubt be looking for her…she had to leave as soon as she could, and that meant defeating the gym…well…_now_. Coming to this conclusion, Belle wandered the streets of Celadon, trying to determine where she should go. She passed some strange, random mansion; the towering Department Store; the Rocket Game Corner, which sounded suspicious to her; and the PokéCenter again. Crap. She was lost.

It was so loud…how could anyone stand it? Belle moved out of everyone's way and stood by the PokéCenter, rubbing her temples; Charmy hurried to stand beside her. She wished she could find a quiet spot to just…be alone. How many people could fit into one city?

Belle slipped down beside the Pokémon Center, entering a place between the trees and the building. There was a path here; she walked along it, gratefully hearing the noise behind her drop away. Soon, she found herself at the back entrance to the Celadon Mansion. What was this? Some sort of servant's entrance? Why was it here? Not thinking, she tried the door. It was unlocked.

"Should we go in?" Belle asked Charmy, who held his claws out in a classic "I don't know" gesture. "Worse-case scenario, I get thrown out. Right?"

Charmy cocked his head at her. She stared at him for a while before opening the door and finding herself in a small room containing nothing but stairs. Wonderingly, she climbed the stairs to find herself in yet _another_ small room containing nothing but stairs. The next room was the same way; and then, she climbed a flight of stairs and was on the roof.

"This is weird," Belle said. "What is that building?"

"_Meleon,"_ Charmy replied. They both looked at the small, rectangular building, squatting close to the flat roof. It was white, with gray-and-blue walls. Belle walked around it to find the door.

"Well, we've come this far," she said, before stepping inside.

She walked into what looked like a classroom; there was a desk and a chalkboard, and a small table off to the side with a Poké Ball sitting on it. A man stood near the desk. He had brown spiky hair and wore a white headband with karate clothes, and he didn't seem to notice her, even though she was standing practically right in front of him.

"Um…hello," Belle said. "Is…is it okay that I'm in here?"

"There is nothing that I don't know, like I wrote on the blackboard," the man told her. "I know about the world of Pokémon! Get together with your friends and enjoy trading Pokémon!"

Belle blinked. She glanced down at Charmy, who shrugged, before moving carefully around the man (he didn't move) and going towards the table with the Poké Ball. "What's in this?" she asked, but the man didn't answer her. She picked it up and an Eevee burst from it immediately, making her cry out and leap backwards. The little brown Pokémon looked up at her expectantly.

"What—?" Belle shouted. It shrank back, trembling with fear, and flattened its ears against its head. "Oh, sorry," she murmured, and got to one knee. "Come here, I'm sorry, my bad." The Eevee timidly walked towards her and nudged her hand with its nose. "Is that dude your trainer, or what? What are you doing here?"

The Eevee didn't show any signs that it had heard or understood her; instead, it pressed itself against her stomach and promptly fell asleep. Belle looked over at Charmy, dumbfounded. She half wished that she hadn't left Derrick back in Lavender so that she could talk to him about this. Thinking about leaving Derrick in Lavender Town made her remember her sense of urgency, and she stood quickly.

Belle returned Eevee to its Poké Ball and turned to look at the man. "Hey, dude, uh…what's up with this Eevee?"

The man didn't reply. She walked past him again and stood in front of him. "There is nothing that I don't know," he said when she came back into view. In frustration, Belle reared back and punched him in the jaw.

"Ow! What the hell?" the man cried, stumbling. "What is your problem?"

"What is _my _problem? What's _your_ problem? What are you, a freaking robot?" Belle put a hand on her hip. "So, what's up with this Eevee?"

"Just take it," the man said. "Geez, that's what it's there for. It's yours now. It's got seven evolutions, though."

"Yeah, I know that." Belle waved this fact away. "What's up with this little rooftop thing? And why don't people get in trouble by coming up here? Why do they get rewarded with Pokémon instead?"

The man shrugged. "I don't know. This is just my day job."

* * *

After the punch, the man didn't seem too keen on giving Belle directions, but he had grudgingly told her how to get to the Celadon City Gym—it was tucked away in a quiet corner, surrounded by trees and flowers. She approached it timidly, with Charmy by her side and Eevee hanging on her shoulder, where it had insisted on falling asleep.

"Okay…I don't want to give away my strategy," Belle told Charmy. "So I'm going to have to put you in your Ball."

Charmy eyed Eevee, and Belle sighed. "All right, I'll put this thing up too." But when she returned the Pokémon to their Poké Balls, she felt a bit lonely.

The inside of the gym was carpeted with lush green grass, and the air was permeated with the sweet scent of flowers. Belle closed her eyes and felt strangely happy for a moment, standing in the middle of this indoor meadow. How could trees and flowers grow _inside_?

And there were girls—they were _everywhere_. Mommies, daughters, teenagers, old women, every shape, size, and age. No one in the gym was male; Belle suspected even the Pokémon here were female. A pregnant woman stood with a Chansey, smiling as she picked a flower; until now, Belle had only seen a Chansey in the PokéCenters. A woman and her teenage daughter sat cross-legged across from each other, playing with a litter of baby Bulbasaur…cubs? Were _cubs_ what they called them? It made her miss her own mother a little.

In the center of it all was a woman with a kind, gentle face and dark black hair, which was held out of her eyes with a dark pink headband. She wore a light yellow kimono and held a bouquet of flowers. As Belle watched, she bent and gave the bouquet to a very small girl, who laughed and ran away. The woman smiled and stood, sighing as she tucked her hands into her sleeves. _That must be Erika,_ Belle thought, moving toward her. She remembered the sign outside—_The Nature-Loving Princess!_ Perhaps an _indoor meadow_ was going a bit too far.

Erika stood with her eyes closed contentedly as Belle approached, and she didn't move or even notice her. Belle stood there awkwardly for a few moments before clearing her throat. "Um…excuse me…are you Erika?"

She didn't answer. After a while, she opened her eyes and looked towards the sky; and turned, startled, to Belle. "Oh dear…you startled me." Her voice was as kind, calm, and gentle as her face. It was smooth, like wind whispering through tree leaves.

"I've been standing here for a while," Belle said.

"Oh…I must have dozed off."

_How do you doze off standing up?_ Belle wondered.

"Well, at any rate…I am Erika, the Gym Leader here, and also an expert in the art of flower arranging. Are you, by any chance, _interested_ in flower arranging?"

"No, I'm here for a gym battle," Belle replied.

"Oh! A gym battle! By all means, yes…but I warn you. I'm quite strong."

"I believe it," Belle replied.

Erika smiled. "Good. I will ready the gym." She snapped her fingers; immediately, two tall boxes rose from the ground and a stadium floor appeared. Every woman in the gym scattered and turned their attention to it. Belle felt a little nervous. She had never battled in front of a large audience.

"Please climb into your box," Erika said, gesturing towards Belle's box as she walked away. Belle did so; her legs shook as she climbed the stairs, but she stood proudly in the box, trying not to show her fear. She wasn't afraid of heights, but apparently, she _did_ have stage fright.

A woman in a referee outfit stood by the stadium floor, holding a flag in each hand. "This will be a three-on-three battle. Switching out is allowed by the challenger, but only between matches for Erika. Erika, are you ready?"

"Indeed I am." Erika smiled, but a certain edge was now in her features as she held up a Poké Ball. She liked winning.

"Challenger ready?"

"Very," Belle answered, pulling a Ball off her belt and feeling it enlarge in her hand. She felt the thrill of battle in her stomach, and she forgot about the people watching. Belle liked winning too.

"Begin!"

"It is your time to shine, Victreebel!"

"Swifter, let's go!" Belle tossed her Poké Ball into the air as her Pidgeotto burst from it, crying out and expanding its wings.

"Vine Whip, please, Victreebel."

"Swifter, let's give 'em an Aerial Ace!"

Having the type advantage, Swifter won easily; Erika frowned as Victreebel was proclaimed unable to battle, and the red light from the Poké Ball swallowed it as she reached for another Pokémon. Belle was unsure as to whether she wanted to keep using Swifter or switch to Charmy, but Erika threw her Poké Ball too fast for her to decide.

"Tangela!"

"What the—?" A Pokémon that looked like a walking bundle of knots stood on the stadium floor, its many vine-like appendages wriggling in the air. Belle frowned down at it.

"Vine Whip!"

The vines suddenly looked a heck of a lot more formidable wrapped around Swifter's wings and talons. Swifter cried out in alarm, struggling to beat its wings as it was pulled rapidly towards Tangela.

"Come on, Swifter, fight it!" Belle shouted, grabbing onto the rail of the box. "You can overpower it!"

"I'm afraid it can't," Erika replied. "You see, Tangela is quite strong."

Frustrated, Belle banged her fist against the rail. "Swifter, Peck its vines!"

The Pidgeotto leaned down and thrust its beak into the vine wrapped around its talon; with a strange squeal, Tangela pulled it back. Swifter was able to use this as a distraction and wiggle free of the other vines; it flew up, out of Tangela's reach. There was no way Belle would be able to get close to Tangela again to attack it; she needed an attack that had range to it, one that she could use while standing far away from it…

"Swifter, return!" Belle cried, holding out its Ball. With her other hand, she quickly loosed Charmy's Ball from her belt. Once she had his Ball in her good hand, she threw it, yelling out his name.

The Charmeleon stood a little bit taller than the Tangela, and he leered down at it, baring his fangs menacingly. Belle glanced at Erika to see a grimace pass over her face. She didn't have any tricks up her sleeve for a Fire-type.

"Get out of reach of it, quick!" Belle shouted down to Charmy, who leaped backwards immediately. "Use Flamethrower!"

It didn't take long for Tangela to go down; Erika returned it to its Ball and brought out the next one.

"Vileplume, go!"

"That's the evolution of Gloom," Belle said, leaning over the rail to get a better look. She didn't particularly like the look of it; the large pink petals on top of its head were unnecessary and obnoxious, and why was its body so small and dark? "Hey, how did you get that?" Belle asked, pointing down at the Vileplume.

Erika blinked at the interruption of the battle. "I used a Leaf Stone on my Gloom."

"It doesn't just evolve into Vileplume on its own?"

"Um, no," Erika said uncertainly. "But if you use a Sun Stone on a Gloom, it will evolve into Bellossum."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks. Flamethrower, Charmy!"

"Wait—what? Vileplume, use Bullet Seed!"

But Vileplume was too late; it had a burn on one of its big, obnoxious petals. Belle gripped the rail in front of her hard, trying to force down her excitement. If she started thinking she'd won too early, she would get ahead of herself and lose.

"Vileplume, use Pursuit!"

Belle's mind whizzed quickly. That was a Dark-type move. How did Vileplume know a Dark-type move?

The move hit Charmy like a ton of bricks and sent him sprawling across the stadium floor. The women in the gym cheered; suddenly, Belle was all too aware of them. The hand gripping the rail in front of her started to sweat, and her legs began to tremble. Maybe she _was_ afraid of heights…

No! No, she couldn't choke! She couldn't let Charmy down, or her mother, or Derek, or her father! "Ch-Charmy!" she called out. The Charmeleon sprung to his feet, eager and ready for more. Belle took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Bullet Seed!"

"Uh—Burn them if they get to close to you!"

What was she doing? _Think, dammit._ She squinted down at Charmy as he swept a seed out of the air with his tail. The seed bounced against the large, obnoxious petal that had the burn, making Vileplume wince and stop its barrage of seeds.

"Now's your chance, Charmy! Go around behind it, use Flamethrower!"

In a spectacular move that Belle was quite sure she hadn't taught him, Charmy leapt into the air and did a front flip, touching his claw to the ground briefly and using it to catapult him over and behind Erika's Vileplume. He let loose a monstrous Flamethrower that hit Vileplume square in the back and sent it tumbling in flames.

"Vileplume!" Erika shrieked in a manner that was not calm at all. Now the Vileplume lay there as Charmy simply baked it.

Belle had a sudden flashback—a small table draped in white cloth; a black box; a little girl with tears running down her face; a small, lifeless Pichu; only now, she saw Erika, standing over the box, staring teary-eyed at a battered Vileplume—

"Charmy, stop!" Belle cried. "Stop!"

He did, snapping his mouth shut to immediately snuff out the flames before looking up at her apologetically. As their eyes met, Belle knew he knew what she was thinking. _Don't overdo it,_ she thought, staring down at her Pokémon.

"Vileplume is unable to battle," the referee said, pushing thick blonde hair off her shoulder. "Challenger wins!"

Erika rushed down from her box and ran over to Vileplume, throwing herself on the floor beside it and placing a hand on its body. "That was a dirty trick you pulled," she snapped at Belle as she got closer. "Acting as though you were interested in Gloom's evolutions."

"I am," Belle replied. "I _have_ a Gloom. And I didn't mean to distract you. I'm sorry."

Erika blinked. Obviously, this had not been the answer she was expecting. She turned away from Belle, checking Vileplume over. Finally, she returned it to its Poké Ball and stood, dusting her kimono off, and smiled like she had before, with that calm, serene look.

"You fought well," she said. "My Vileplume will be fine. It could have been a lot worse…your Charmeleon has quite a Flamethrower."

"Thank you."

"Your father would be proud."

Belle was taken aback. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Charmy, noticing her distress, immediately reached out and grabbed her hand with its claw.

"Yes, I knew your father. You are Daniel Caldwell's child, are you not?"

Belle nodded dumbly. Now that Erika mentioned it, she _did_ look around her father's age…or, what his age would be if he was alive.

"Your father was a very good man. He battled me when I was still an aspiring gym leader."

"Did he win?" Belle asked quietly.

Erika laughed softly. "No. I clobbered him. His Ivysaur was no match for my Gloom. Why you would pit Grass against Grass, I have no idea. But I assume he learned from the experience." She smiled. "We are a lot alike, you and I."

"How?"

"You have been through much. So have I." Erika smiled gently. "We both have black hair. We both miss your father."

Belle swallowed hard. "What were…you…to my father?"

"An ex-girlfriend. The match I mentioned was the one where we broke up." Erika laughed, but it was a sad laugh. "He and I were not meant to be…but he was a good friend, as was Terra."

"You know my mother too?"

"After your father…was killed…we drifted apart. But I like to think we were friends at one time. May I see your Gloom, Belle?"

Belle let Gloom out of its Ball, and it stood on its little flat feet as drool slipped from the corner of its mouth. Erika smiled. "I think a Bellossum would suit you much better than a Vileplume. Here." Out of a pocket, she pulled both a Rainbow Badge and a Sun Stone.

Belle took the gifts and turned to Gloom. "Gloom, would you like to be a Bellossum?"

Gloom seemed to consider. It rocked back and forth, unleashing its foul stench into the room. Belle pulled the collar of her T-shirt up over her nose, and Erika put her sleeve over her face. Finally, the Pokémon nodded, and Belle gently and timidly touched it with the Sun Stone.

In a show she had seen several times before, Gloom emitted a bright glow and transformed into something smaller and cuter. Bellossum soon stood before her, bursting with happiness. _"Bellossum!" _it cried.

Belle then decided to take her leave; she felt like she should hug Erika, but all she could do was bow her head in thanks. "Take care, Belle," Erika called as she left.

It was late in the day when Belle left the gym, so she decided to stop by the hotel she had passed on the way to the gym and see if there were any vacancies. She couldn't stay at the Pokémon Center—Derrick would find her there. She called Cassandra's father to ask him for some money, which he gladly sent her over the PC connection.

It wasn't until she was lying in bed about to fall asleep that Belle realized that she had never told Erika her name.

* * *

**To: **thompson_alyssa, dancing_through_life

**From: **dingdongbelle

**Subject: **blank

* * *

I got the Rainbow Badge. Erika gave me a Sun Stone and I evolved my Gloom into Bellossum. Swifter, Mankey, and Diglett evolved earlier than that. I got an Eevee in Celadon Mansion. Next stop is Fuchsia City for the Soul Badge.

Love,

Belle

* * *

_Thanks everybody!! Can you believe we've come this far?? It's Chapter 26 already!! (It seems fast to me...) Anyway, now to thank my awesome reviewers:_

_**SaveTheCrayons! **(I must say, I love love LOVE your name. And all 26 in one sitting? That's dedication!!)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yeah, Karen is kinda cute, huh?)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(^_^ Suspicious Sakura is suspicious, I guess!)_

_**Emblem Duelist **(Aw, it's not actually all that hard...I'm sure you'd be able to do it. ^_^)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Aw, I forgive you. I know you have a lot of college work. And I never really considered that my story was becoming popular...but thanks!! XD)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Ah, sorry about the emotion whiplash...I thought it was in separate paragraphs. I'll look at it!! And all will be revealed about Belle's reasons...later. And I've missed your reviews, so thanks for coming back!!)_

_Thank you, everyone, for being so good to me so far. ^_^ Time to review this chapter!! Please??_


	28. Chapter 27

Alyssa stared down at Ziggy's fur as she stroked it. Her other hand was busy propping up her head, as it was drooping considerably. Ziggy stayed still, but only because it made Alyssa even sadder when he went anywhere; so he stayed huddled on her lap, worried sick.

"Alyssa. Hey."

She looked up. Ian stood in front of her, a frown on his face. "Did you get _any_ sleep last night?"

"No."

Ian's frown deepened and he pulled up a chair beside her. "You didn't need to stay up _all_ night, you know."

Alyssa sighed and put her fist in her cheek once again, letting it mash the soft skin of her face as it propped it up. She had long ago taken out her ponytail, and her hair was scraggly and limp.

"Alyssa…someone's coming from the Ranger Union today."

Alyssa nodded. She had spent the night at the base last night instead of going home to Chicole Village. Barlow had told her that they needed everyone present to guard the prisoner until someone from the Ranger Union came to pick him up. Luanne, Barlow, and Crawford already slept at the base every night; Alyssa went home, and Ian stayed in a house in Vientown.

"Why did you stay up all night? We guarded the prisoner in shifts, remember?"

Alyssa nodded again. She _did_ remember. She remembered yesterday and last night all too well…and there was nothing she could do to forget. Every time she had started to drift off, images of crumpled Graveler and Geodude would flash into her head. And when once, she had finally started having a perfectly normal dream, it had suddenly turned into a nightmare when gigantic rocks came crashing down from the sky unannounced.

"Hey…come on. Barlow said you and me deserve a break, and you look like you could use some fresh air. Let's go outside."

Alyssa shook her head. "The prisoner," she mumbled. Ziggy shifted in her lap to look up at her. "We can't leave the prisoner."

"Barlow's watching him. Come on, Lyssi."

Alyssa looked up at Ian sharply. Her brother used to call her Lyssi. _Lyssi my sissy!_ he would say jokingly as he hugged her tight, or pulled her to her feet after she fell, or kissed her on the top of the head, or tucked her in after a story.

"Lyssi?" she echoed faintly. Ian scratched the back of his neck.

"Sorry. It just…came out."

"Please don't call me that. It's what my brother used to call me."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

"I don't."

Silence dropped between them as heavily as a stone. Ian reached out and touched the hand that was so diligently petting Ziggy. "Alyssa…"

She shook her head and looked at her hand. Ordinarily, she would have been thrilled that he was touching her, but she couldn't muster it up now.

"Come on, Alyssa. Let's go."

Finally, Alyssa nodded. Ziggy climbed up to hang on her back as Ian and Prinplup led them out of the base.

Dawn was just beginning to spill over the horizon. Alyssa brushed her bangs out of her eyes and squinted. Ziggy pushed his nose into her ear and sniffed, making her smile for the first time that day.

Ian and Alyssa stood side-by-side for a while. She was quite thankful to him for dragging her out into the fresh air; a light breeze brushed her face, and she breathed in the scent of grass. It really was nice out here. She looked around at all the houses. Life would have to go on, no matter what happened. Her life, for certain, was going to be a lot more complicated than she had thought…but she was going to have to keep pushing through. She remembered the baby Poliwag, and how she had handed it carefully to the Poliwrath. The Poliwrath had taken it into his hands and closed his eyes; when he opened them, he had looked up at Alyssa with a deep sadness. She had watched as the family of Poliwag and Poliwhirl buried the small Pokémon…but then they had moved on. And that was what Alyssa needed to do.

Alyssa pulled in a deep breath and looked over at Ian. "Does it get easier?" she asked him.

Ian sighed. "Not really. But you have to find your own way of handling it. Everyone has a different way. Luanne has her beauty crap—you've noticed that, right? Crawford has his drinking. Barlow has his gruffness."

"What about you?"

He was quiet for a moment. "It's…complicated. It's a long story."

She was just about to tell him that she had time when they heard a rumbling and a van pulled up. A man wearing a Ranger uniform with a shock of messy brown hair clambered out of the passenger's seat. "We're here to pick up the prisoner," he said. A Buizel bobbed along beside him. Alyssa eyed his Styler. He was definitely a Top Ranger.

"Come on in," Ian said. He and Alyssa led the man inside. "Barlow!" Ian called. He went into the hallway that led to the overnight rooms, leaving Alyssa in the lobby alone with the man.

"I'm Alyssa," she said, holding out her hand to the man.

"You're Alyssa!" he cried, clasping onto her hand and pumping it excitedly. "I'm Keith. It's nice to meet you. Was that kid Ian? Are you two the ones that did that whole cave-thing yesterday?"

"Uh…yeah," Alyssa replied, taking back her hand and feeling quite shaken up. She was saved from further questions by the appearance of Barlow and Ian.

"Ah, they sent some Top Rangers to get the prisoner, I see," Barlow said. "Nice to see you again, Keith."

"Nice to see you, too, Barlow. Well, I'll be taking the prisoner, Ian, and Alyssa with me. Could you two escort the prisoner out?"

"Ian and Alyssa?" Barlow thundered, no longer happy to see Keith. "Why would you need them?"

Keith looked shocked. "Didn't you get the message? Chairperson Erma wants to promote them to Top Rangers."

"_What_?" Barlow yelled. "Top Rangers? They're rookies!"

"Yeah, but what they did was extremely worthy of Top Rangers. They both show incredible potential!"

"But you have no idea if that was a fluke or not," Alyssa said wonderingly.

"It wasn't a fluke," Barlow muttered. "I at least know that. You two are damn good Rangers."

Keith beamed at them, but Alyssa and Ian were shocked. Neither of them knew what to say. Alyssa was too tired to deal with this. "So…I'm gonna be a Top Ranger?"

"Yep!" Keith replied.

"I'm gonna be a Top Ranger."

"You sure are!"

Alyssa suddenly felt dizzy. She wobbled over to the counter and grasped the edge, leaning on it heavily. "You're sure there's no mistake?"

"No mistake! You are now a Top Ranger!"

"Alyssa?" Ian stepped forward, a frown on his face. His outline was blurred…everything else was kind of blurry too…Alyssa squinted. "Alyssa?" he repeated, and his voice sounded far away. It echoed as if he were in a tunnel.

And then everything faded to black.

* * *

"What happened?"

"She stayed up all night last night."

"I told everyone to sleep in shifts!"

"I know, but I think she was having nightmares. It was her first major mission, after all."

"CORN DOGS ARE YUMMY."

Several different voices danced through Alyssa's head as she weaved in and out of consciousness, some making sense, some not. Finally, after a long bout of unconsciousness, she awoke.

First things first—she needed to take stock of her surroundings. She was lying on a bed, with Ziggy slumbering quietly on her stomach…she turned her head a bit. It was the same bed she had been assigned to sleep in last night, but hadn't used. In a corner of the room, Ian sat in a chair. When he saw her move, he jumped to his feet and strode over to her. "Alyssa!" he said softly.

Alyssa moaned in reply. "What happened?" At the sound of her voice, Ziggy perked up and looked at her.

"Well, Keith told you that we were going to be Top Rangers, and you fainted." Alyssa noticed that he couldn't keep the grin off his face at the mention of being a Top Ranger. It certainly was exciting news.

"How long have I been like this?"

"Well, you fainted around five-thirty in the morning…it's two o'clock in the afternoon now."

"_What_?" Alyssa sat bolt upright, dislodging Ziggy; but she felt so overpoweringly nauseous and dizzy that she lowered herself back down. Ian laughed and Ziggy nestled down again.

"Don't panic. I'll go get you some lunch."

"Where's Keith?"

"The Rangers that came to pick up the prisoner are staying here for the night and heading back to the Ranger Union in the morning. They figured it'll give us a chance to pack, since we didn't know about this yesterday."

Alyssa nodded. "I need to go home and pack everything up."

"Hey…" Ian leaned over her, gently placing a hand on the side of the bed. "Did you dream?"

"No."

"Good."

* * *

"_Leaving_? But you just became a Ranger!"

"I know, Mom. They're promoting me."

"But—but—you're so young! And you've only been a Ranger for a few weeks!"

"Yeah, I know." Alyssa climbed the stairs to her bedroom. Her mother followed her worriedly, but her father Warren stood in the kitchen, where he had been when she entered the house.

When they arrived in her room, Ziggy jumped from his place on Alyssa's shoulder and scuttled across the floor, sniffing to make sure he knew where he was. Ambipom looked up; it had been making Alyssa's bed. The two hands on its tail had been straightening her nightstand. "_Am_!" it said happily.

"Don't get too excited, Ampibom," Diana said to the Pokémon as she entered the room. "Alyssa's being promoted, and she's moving away."

At first, Ambipom's face fell; then it appeared to be happy for her. Its tail-hands left her nightstand and reached across the room to her dresser, where Alyssa was, to give her a hug.

"Aw, thanks, Ambipom," Alyssa laughed. "Do you know where my suitcase is?"

"_Am_!" It hopped over to her closet and pulled it out.

"Thanks!"

Diana crossed her arms. "Well, I suppose I'll help you pack, too."

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject: **Promoooottiiiooonnn!!

* * *

So guess what? I've been promoted to TOP RANGER!!! Yep yep yep!! I guess the whole traumatizing cave-thing kinda paid off. When they came to pick up the prisoner Ian and I apprehended (AHHH, that makes it sound so cool! XD), they told us about our promotion!! That's right, OUR promotion. Ian's going with me!!

Oh, did you see Belle's other email? I really think something's up with her.

Love much,

Alyssa XD

* * *

**To: **dingdongbelle

**From: **thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** your emails

* * *

Belle, what's wrong? Something's up with you and I know it. What happened? Are you okay? I'm worried. Cassandra is too. You're not explaining anything like you used to. How did the battle go? What did Erika say afterwards? Why did she give you a Sun Stone? How did you get a Pokémon from a mansion? Did you get in trouble? What happened between you and Derrick to make you not travel together anymore?

Love from your worried sick friend,

Alyssa

P.S. I got promoted to Top Ranger! Be happy or something.

* * *

_Okay! Merry Christmas, everybody!! Sorry for the long wait. And now to thank my reviewers:_

_**MiddleNameDanger **(Yay! Thanks much!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(^_^ Thank you!!)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(You hit the nail right on the head with that. I'm glad you're sticking with my story!)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yeah, their names do sound alike. XD)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Teehee, funny how things work out, huh?)_

_Thank you **all** so much for reading and reviewing! And **Merry Christmas**, or **Happy Hanukkah**, or **Happy Kwanzaa**!!! (By the way, I hate the phrase "happy holidays" with the fiery passion of a thousand white-hot suns.) **I love you guys!!!**_


	29. Chapter 28

Cassandra felt a swooping in the pit of her stomach the morning of the Contest. Had time really gone by so fast?

Karen was slumbering peacefully next to Tuffly in her twin-sized bed, so Cassandra was very quiet as she slipped out of her own and went towards the closet. Since Cassandra (or Joanna, rather) had a lot of money, she could afford to pay for a suite; she walked into the den after plucking her outfit from the hangar.

To match her newly-evolved Marshtomp, Cassandra wore a frilly light orange skirt that fell about to her knee; it swished pleasantly when she moved, which would add some flair to the competition. Her shirt was orange with blue designs, and the sleeves belled out at the elbows, allowing gossamer fabric to trail her every arm-movement. She twisted her hair into a bun; her _trademark_ would be let out later.

Cassandra let Finny, Swablu, and Fluffy out of their Poké Balls as she pulled on her shoes. They stared at her expectantly. The air felt heavy; this was her second Contest. It wasn't big, but she was advancing.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Karen asked, rubbing sleep from her eye and drifting into the den.

"You looked like you could use some rest," Cassandra told her. "You were up late coloring, after all."

Karen nodded. She turned and looked over her shoulder. "Tuffly's still sleeping."

"Well, get dressed and ready. We need to leave soon."

* * *

The Contest Hall was buzzing with excitement. Cassandra couldn't pull a crazy grin from her features as she wandered around, Karen and Tuffly in tow.

"Have you seen Sakura?" Cassandra asked after a while. Karen tugged on one of her long pink braids thoughtfully.

"No. I haven't. Why?"

"Just wondering."

"There she is!" Karen pointed at a door nestled in the corner marked _Judges Only_. Sakura stood in front of it, gently patting her smooth orange hair, which was held back in two buns behind her head. What looked like hair extensions dangled from the buns, giving her a Sailor Moon-like look. She wore, as usual, a kimono, with orange and white patterns on it to match her Goldeen. "What's she doing by the judges' lounge?"

"She's probably…" But Cassandra was stumped. What _was_ she doing by the judges' lounge?

Sakura glanced around, her hand sliding from her hair and to the doorknob; with a final glance, she pushed open the door and disappeared inside.

"Maybe she bribed a judge," Karen whispered, a dark look coming over her face. Tuffly frowned too.

"No, she wouldn't do that," Cassandra told her. But a strange feeling was churning in the pit of her stomach, and she turned away to look up at the tourney screen.

Thankfully, Cassandra's first round was against a Fire-type Pokémon—a Flareon—so Finny had a type advantage. The girl she fought lost quickly to Finny's Mud Shot; not only did it put her Pokémon near fainting, but it muddied up Flareon's coat, making it less graceful.

The second battle was a little tougher, and it was against a Machop dressed in a tuxedo, which Cassandra thought was adorable. She regretted mucking up the nice tuxedo to beat the Pokémon.

In the break between her second and third round, Karen came bursting fiercely into the lobby. "Cassandra! Are you paying attention to the battles in the stadium?"

"Um…" Cassandra found it hard to answer the girl. She had never seen her look so fierce or serious.

"You _need_ to! If Sakura wins this next battle, she'll be against you!" Karen pointed up towards a screen, which displayed Sakura and Deena battling a Chikorita.

"She might lose," Cassandra said thoughtfully. "The other person has a type advantage."

"That won't matter if she bribed a judge," Karen muttered.

"Will you stop that?" Every time she heard that, it made Cassandra uneasy.

As she watched, Chikorita came out with a powerful Vine Whip and plucked Deena easily out of the water; it raised the Goldeen above its head before flinging it back with a splash.

One of the judges, a bald, older man, began waving his hands and yelling. "One of the judges calls unnecessary roughness and docks Miss Carrie a significant amount of points!" the MC called. The booing of the crowd was so loud that Cassandra could hear it through the stadium doors as well as on the television.

"I've seen rougher things than that," Cassandra remarked, frowning. "That judge sure is strict."

"Or—" Karen began.

"Don't."

Sakura won her match, and Cassandra tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she stood across the floor from her, Finny's Poké Ball in her hand and determination in the set of her jaw.

"These two faced off in the final round at Verdanturf," the MC boomed over the speaker. "What surprises await us as they face each other again today?"

"Best of luck," Sakura called across the floor.

"Thank you," Cassandra replied. "You too."

"Ready the stage!" called the MC; and in a familiar display, the floor opened to reveal a pool. This time, however, there would be no disadvantage for Swablu. Finny would be taking the stage this time. "Begin!"

"Deena, it is time!"

Goldeen burst out of her Poké Ball and sailed in a graceful arc above the pool, water droplets shaking from her tail as she fell. Cassandra squinted. Was it just her, or did Goldeen look a bit bigger?

At any rate, Deena entered the pool with hardly a splash; Sakura's point-bar rocketed forward.

"Oh, and a very graceful display by Sakura's Deena! That's…a very large amount of points for just an entrance. But let's see if Miss Étoile can beat it!"

Cassandra took in a deep breath and raised both hands above her head. She did a little spin and tossed Finny's Poké Ball. "Finny, let's go!"

Finny leapt out of his Ball, did a somersault, and then swan-dived into the pool, where he swam for a bit and then surfaced with a shiny splash. Cassandra smiled as her point-bar surged forward, stopping just before Sakura's. It was going to be another close, exciting battle; probably entirely underwater.

"And the Contest Hall's WaterCams are on and functioning! Everyone turn your attentions to the screen!" the MC boomed.

The WaterCams were only turned on for battles between two Water Pokémon; it wouldn't be fair for a non-water Pokémon to see the surface as well as what was going underwater on the screen, while the Water Pokémon could only see underwater.

"Deena, use Horn Attack!"

"Dodge it, Finny!" Cassandra cried, watching the screen intently. Finny ducked swiftly beneath Deena and swam under her, shooting off toward the other side of the pool. Cassandra's points-bar inched forward for his show of grace. "Now, use Water Pulse!"

Finny flipped around and clapped his two fins together; a pulse jolted from the impact, spreading out and heading towards Deena. The surface of the pool rippled with its intensity; with nowhere to go, Deena tumbled over in the waves helplessly, and Sakura's bar shrank back a great deal.

Sakura looked positively furious at her dip in points; she cut the judges such a scathing look that Cassandra was surprised that they didn't burst into flames. She hadn't noticed that competitive edge in Sakura at Verdanturf…but then again, she had already won the contest the previous week. Not so much had been riding on their battle then. Whoever won this progressed to the final round, and Cassandra, while not willing to glare daggers at the judges, was determined that it was going to be her.

"Good job, Finny! Now use Aqua Tail!"

Finny spun around again, this time to get enough momentum for a powerful Aqua Tail. The entire pool was in turmoil as the water shifted and swirled.

"Deena, jump out!" Sakura yelled, an edge to her voice.

"Don't let it! Get that thing back in the water!" Cassandra let her hair loose as she yelled this, and it fanned out and caught the light; the crowd roared its approval. Finny leapt out of the pool, snatched Deena out of the air as she sailed upward, and threw her back down. The Goldeen fell, smacking roughly into the water. She looked weakened as she passed by a WaterCam.

"What a display of acrobatics!" the MC yelled. "And look at Cassandra's—wait, one of the judges is saying something!"

An older man with a bald head was yelling from the judges' table. He looked angry, but the other judges were looking at him incredulously.

"Oh…well, he is saying that Finny and Cassandra are to be docked points for unnecessary roughness!"

Cassandra's mouth dropped open as the crowd booed and hissed. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at her bar, which had been snatched back to half its value. She gritted her teeth as rage bubbled up in her stomach. That wasn't fair.

"Deena, we're okay!" Sakura called. "Let's go! Horn Attack!"

Finny looked around; Cassandra hadn't made a command. She pushed the rage back and looked up at the WaterCam. Deena was nowhere in sight.

"D-dodge!" Cassandra yelled, but Finny didn't know where Deena was either. Anywhere he moved could be right in the path of wherever Deena was.

And then, Deena's horn buried itself into the skin of Finny's leg; she had come from the bottom of the pool. The power of her attack drove Finny bursting through the surface of the water. He shot up several feet into the air, did a strange, awkward somersault, and then landed with a belly-flop back on the water.

"Where's the call of unnecessary roughness _now_?" the MC asked. "That didn't look quite legal to me! But the judges haven't said anything, and Cassandra's points are docked!"

Cassandra balled her hands into fists as Finny floated on the water, struggling slightly. Its leg was badly injured, and blood leaked from an open wound. "Finny! Would you like me to forfeit?"

With a strange, determined look, Finny righted himself and dove underwater, a thin blood trail flowing up and then disappearing altogether. The crowd cheered noisily.

"It seems as though Finny wants to fight through his pain!" the MC yelled through the speakers.

Cassandra smiled, but she remembered something; a Poochyena, fighting through repeated onslaughts of Bug attacks, to its own destruction.

"Show them their mistake, Deena! Surf!"

"Surf?" Cassandra muttered. Could Goldeen _learn_ Surf?

The water in the pool contracted; it rose up into one huge wave, leaving half the pool dry. Finny stood, dripping wet, in the dry part of the pool, staring up at the wave towering over him with Deena swimming up, up, up into the crest of the wave as it curled over sinisterly and came crashing down around him.

The WaterCam showed nothing but rushing water for several seconds; Cassandra rung her hands as she alternated looking at the surface of the water and the screen, trying to catch a glimpse of Finny. Finally, she saw him; the WaterCam showed him going by in the aftermath of the wave, being flopped gracelessly in the current. Cassandra leaned over, worriedly staring at the blue fleck that was Finny's body as it was tossed around; the MC shouted things and the crowd roared angrily, but Cassandra could only pay attention to Finny.

Finally, the water calmed down and Finny floated up to the top, thoroughly fainted. She returned him to his Poké Ball and sadly looked up at her screen. Not all her points were gone…but most of them were.

"And the judges are arguing at this very moment," the MC yelled. Cassandra looked over at the judges' table; Nurse Joy looked angrier than Cassandra had ever seen any Nurse Joy, and the two other judges—the bald old man and a middle-aged man with brown hair—were yelling at each other. The old man seemed to win the argument; albeit unhappily, Nurse Joy and the middle-aged man turned away.

"The decision stands," the MC's voice boomed over the loudspeakers. "Sakura Konohana wins the match!"

Cassandra sadly lifted her eyes to see Sakura, standing demurely on the other side of the stadium, Deena's Poké Ball in hand. There was something about her expression…she wore a small half-smile, and her eyes were cold and distant. A strange triumph was etched in the set of her jaw.

Her expression reminded Cassandra of Joanna.

* * *

**To: **thompson_alyssa

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject: **…

* * *

I lost my contest, Alyssa.

It was awful. And it was unfair. I've been trying to ignore Karen, but it looks like she's right. She thinks Sakura bribed a judge, and now I think so too. I'll send you the video soon so you can see.

Well, I guess I'll be hanging around Fallarbor Town for another month or so until the next contest. I'll train even harder.

Have you heard anything from Belle? It's been three weeks and I haven't gotten ONE email from the girl. I don't want to pressure her, but this is getting ridiculous. I almost want to go over there and get her, but I have no clue where she'd be. Last time I got an email from her, she was heading to Fuchsia City, but that was THREE WEEKS AGO. Who knows where she is now?

Oh, and congratulations on your promotion!! That sounds exciting! Well, it also sounds like hard work, but you'll probably love that. And with Ian too! Looks like you two will be getting even closer!

Much love,

Cassandra

* * *

_Oh my GOODNESS I'm so sorry for the long wait!! My Internet situation is...ehhh...but weekly updates are COMING BACK!! I promise!!!_

_And HAPPY NEW YEEEEAAAARRRR!!!_

_Anyway, a huge thank-you to my reviewers!!_

_**Queen Rambler **(Wow, reading through the whole thing in one sitting?? That's a pretty big undertaking. 0.o I'm glad you liked it so much!! Thanks!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Teehee, thanks!!)_

_**EmblemDeulist **(Yeah, she's movin' on up! *cue Jefferson's theme*)_

_**mo12341234 **(Laziness ftw!! Keith is funny, and he's actually USEFUL in the game, which was a big plus. Does passing out count as a spaz attack? XD)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Sorry about your coughing. =( Hope you get better!! But the fainting was a mix between huge stress the day before, complete lack of sleep, then major, shocking news right then. It would be a little too much for anyone to handle...Thank you for your review, even though you're sick!!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Thanks!! And sorry I haven't been reviewing your stories...=( They are really good.)_

_**RabidCatKing **(Thank you! The shortness of the first chapters are due to the fact that Chapters 1-3 used to just be Chapter 1, Chapters 4-6 used to be Chapter 2, and so on. They were getting a bit too lengthy, so I had to break them up. Thanks for your constructive criticism!)_

_So, Happy New Year to everyone, sorry for the slow updates, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE keep reading my story!!! Love all you guys!!_


	30. Chapter 29

In the three weeks it had taken Cassandra to lose her contest, Belle had caught an unsuspecting Poliwag at the random pond in Celadon, cursed herself for not buying a bike, taken the long way to Fuchsia City via Vermilion, defeated Koga (she lost twice, causing herself to train so hard Charmy evolved into Charizard and her newly-caught Poliwag became Poliwhirl), and headed to Saffron, where she had been training with the people in the Fighting Dojo. She wasn't too worried about Derrick finding her here. True, she had panicked in Fuchsia because she had spent too long there, but that had been different; what reason did Derrick have to come stumbling into the Fighting Dojo?

"How are things coming along, Belle?"

She turned from where she and Primape had been beating the crap out of a punching bag to see Hitoshi, one of the boys at the dojo. Primape paused in his ruthless destruction of the bag, but when he saw Hitoshi, he turned back to it, deciding that there was no threat to Belle.

Belle adjusted the tape on her hands. "I think I'm a quick learner."

"No…I mean, have you battled Sabrina again yet?"

Belle looked away quickly. The truth was, Sabrina scared the crap out of her. She had been too afraid to tell Charmy, or Poliwhirl, or Eevee what to do, and had let them faint. Those cold, calculating eyes, the way her bangs were cut straight across her forehead, her Alakazam…she reminded Belle too much of death. She haunted her nightmares, standing above her with glowing eyes, cradling a limp, pale Pichu. Hitoshi sighed. "She's not all that bad. She's just shy."

Belle squeezed her eyes shut and turned away, pretending to tighten the tape on her hands. _Shy_? The woman was death! With that calm, smooth voice and that cold, detached tone, her pale skin and strange psychic powers…she could speak to her Alakazam in her head! That alone was creepy enough! Suddenly, though, she found herself wishing she could speak to Charmy in her head.

"She freaks me out," Belle said finally, throwing a weak punch at her bag. "She never smiles, she's so calm…"

"You remind me of her a bit," Hitoshi said, talking over the last part of her sentence.

"Work!" Master Koichi yelled from across the dojo; Belle quickly began punching the bag. Hitoshi moved a bit closer to her.

"You both have dark hair, you both seem calm and composed all the time, neither of you ever smile…"

Belle froze. She reached out and gently caught the punching bag, making it still. She never smiled? "I smile," she said, trying to think back to the last time she smiled. She smiled after she defeated Koga, right? No…after Erika. No…

"No you don't," Hitoshi replied. "You're pretty calm and collected all the time. And Sabrina isn't so bad, once you get to know her. She comes over here when the gym's not so busy." He glanced at her. "You might like her."

"Take a break!" Master Koichi bellowed. Hitoshi wandered off and Belle sank to the floor, grabbing the water bottle she had placed there earlier.

"Settle down, Primape," Belle muttered. The Pokémon stopped its beating of the punching bag and plopped down beside her, feet sticking out willy-nilly. "You need to calm down some."

Primape glanced at her. Its message was loud and clear. _Calm down like you, Miss Sabrina?_

Belle put the rim of the bottle to her lips and looked away. Forget wanting to speak to her Pokémon in her head. They were mean to her.

* * *

Belle surfed through her e-mail. Her black hair was wet and matted to her head, and she was wearing a light blue tank-top and gray gym shorts. She had just taken a shower and was waiting for all the boys to be done; they all insisted that she take hers first, since she was the only girl. She had quite a few e-mails from Cassandra and Alyssa asking her what was wrong. Their urgency grew with each passing day. What could she do to get them to back off? She couldn't tell them of her discovery…she couldn't share this awful burden of sorrow, couldn't thrust it on them. With a sigh, Belle picked up her water bottle.

"You sound troubled."

Belle's veins ran cold and her heart stopped beating; she froze, staring at the screen. The voice that had spoken was smooth, calm, collected…

It belonged to Sabrina.

Belle turned slowly to face her, lowering her water bottle. The woman stood there in an off-white turtleneck sweater and jeans. It _was_ quite cold outside, now that Belle thought about it. Sabrina's long black hair seemed to shift around her as she cocked her head slightly. "You fear me."

_Psychic people are so creepy, _Belle thought immediately.

"And you seem to be under the impression that psychic people are creepy."

"Stop reading my thoughts," Belle said out loud. She stood up and walked away, trying to put some distance between herself and Sabrina. She was the only one in the dojo with her; why couldn't the boys hurry with their showers?

"The thing you feel is not uncommon when one visits Lavender Tower," Sabrina said suddenly. Belle looked at her sharply. "You were unlucky enough to happen upon a funeral."

"What do you know?"

"Much."

The simple answer startled Belle, and she wrapped her arms around herself and frowned.

"You need not fear me, Belle Caldwell."

_Oh, yeah, sure, you know my full name without me telling you, but I shouldn't be afraid of you. Right._ Belle strode over to her Poké Balls, which sat on a table nearby. She felt the need for some company.

"I am not going to hurt you," Sabrina said, and some emotion edged into her voice. She sounded earnest. "Please, just understand what I'm telling you."

Belle paused, her hand above Charmy's Poké Ball. "May I at least let out Charmy?"

"Yes. You will argue if I decline."

Belle felt a lot safer with a Charizard around; Charmy touched a claw to her shoulder blades supportively. "Continue."

"You need to speak to someone. Don't keep everything inside. Also…the person you dread meeting nears. If you wish to avoid him, you need to leave soon. While it is my opinion you should talk to him, I know that you will not heed my advice; I also feel that it is fair to warn you. He comes. You should leave within the next two days."

Belle reached out and grabbed Charmy's claw, squeezing it. "How do you know all this?"

"I am psychic. This city is _my_ city." Sabrina turned toward the door of the dojo. She crossed to it in a few long strides, and she paused before leaving, glancing over her shoulder at Belle. "You are determined. I can sense that you won't leave here without the Marsh Badge. I will be waiting at my gym for you."

* * *

Belle arrived at Sabrina's gym with renewed determination and the heartfelt support from everyone at the Fighting Dojo. She had liked it there, and she was loath to leave them, but it had to be done; Derrick was coming, and she needed to head to Cinnabar Island to get her Volcano Badge.

Vaguely, as she wandered into the gym, Belle wondered about Derrick's Pokémon. Had any evolved? Had he caught any new ones? She tried to imagine Derrick fighting alongside a Graveler or a Raichu, but the image hurt her heart, so she pushed the thoughts away. She needed to focus on her battle anyway.

Sabrina loomed out of the darkness of her gym, seeming to pass from shadow into being. Her long black hair fanned out around her elbows. "Good day to you, Belle Caldwell."

"Good day." Belle had resigned herself—she wasn't going to be nervous this time, not at all. She was going to exude the same calm, confident aura Sabrina did. In fact, she was going to try to exude that type of aura from now on. She had come a long way from being afraid of Sabrina; now, she almost idolized her.

"Referee," Sabrina said calmly, and a woman dressed in a referee's outfit stepped out of the shadows, two colored flags in hand. "Begin the match, please."

"This will be a three-on-three match. Leader is only allowed to switch between battles; challenger may switch at any time. Neither may use any more than three different Pokémon. Also, Leader will not, for any reason, read the challenger's thoughts. Challenger ready?"

"Ready," Belle said, reaching for a Poké Ball. She pressed the button in the center and felt it fill up the space in her palm.

"Leader ready?" the referee asked.

"Perfectly so," Sabrina replied. A Poké Ball levitated in front of her.

"Begin!"

"Espeon. It is your turn." Sabrina's Poké Ball opened and unleashed a purplish fox-like Pokémon with two tails and a gleaming gem in its forehead. It landed gently, its tail swishing over its head.

"Bellossum, let's go!" Belle threw her Poké Ball. She knew what Pokémon Sabrina would use—Espeon, Mr. Mime, and Alakazam. She smoothed her thumb over a different Poké Ball as she thought of who would battle Alakazam.

"Espeon, please use Psywave."

"Bellossum, use Giga Drain!"

Before Bellossum could use its move, Espeon's wave of Psychic energy crashed into the little Pokémon and sent it tumbling head over heels. It stood up; there was a scratch on Bellossum's little arm. The creature held its hands out and a mystical, swirling beam of green-tinged sunlight spread out, enveloping Espeon. Small green balls flowed back along the beam of light; they melted into Bellossum, and the scratch on her arm healed. Espeon looked suddenly fatigued.

"Hm. That is something else indeed." Sabrina looked down calmly at her Pokémon. "Espeon, Confusion, please."

"Bellossum, dod—" Belle quickly rethought her strategy. How do you _dodge_ a Psychic move? She cracked her knuckles, mind racing. "Bellossum, use Sleep Powder!"

Espeon wasn't finished readying its mind or meditating or whatever it was Psychic Pokémon did to start attacks, and when the peaceful powder drifted slowly down onto it, its lids closed heavily and it sank to the floor, fast asleep.

"Oh, this is a problem. Espeon?" Sabrina seemed perfectly calm.

"Bellossum, use Quick Attack!"

Bellossum shot at Espeon, colliding into it. Espeon flopped in a rag-doll motion, sprawling out on the gym floor, still fast asleep.

"Espeon, use Confusion!" Sabrina said, sounding forceful.

"Espeon is fast asleep," Belle reminded her. "Bellossum, Tackle! Quick Attack! Tackle again!"

The attacks continued, and Espeon didn't wake up. After a while, Belle ordered Bellossum's attacks to stop; she didn't want to hurt the Pokémon too badly. Nothing happened for a while. Then—

"Espeon is unable to battle! Challenger wins!"

"Very well," Sabrina said, withdrawing Espeon to its Poké Ball. "And now—Mr. Mime, if you please."

"Bellossum, you've done well. Return." Belle plucked a different Ball from her belt and tossed it as Mr. Mime appeared on the floor, happily waving its hands. "Your turn, Poliwhirl!"

"_Poli_!"

"Mr. Mime, Reflect."

Mr. Mime swung his hand out, creating a shield of light in front of him. "Poliwhirl, use Bubblebeam!"

"Light Screen."

Another shield sprang up in front of Mr. Mime; this one deflected Bubblebeam, sending it shooting back at Poliwhirl, who leapt sideways to avoid its own attack. Belle's fingernails dug into her palms as her fingers curled into fists.

"Mr. Mime, Safeguard."

_"Mime!"_ Mr. Mime erected yet another glowing shield, smiling the whole time. Belle wanted to kick it. She surveyed the battlefield, Sabrina looking on coolly as the gears in her mind turned. Last time she had won by putting Espeon to sleep…maybe she could do that to Mr. Mime.

"Poliwhirl, Hypnosis!"

_"Poli!"_ A purple mist slowly wrapped itself around Mr. Mime, but it didn't touch him; one of his many glowing shields pulsed and dispelled the mist completely.

"Safeguard protects against status defects," Sabrina said. "You can't put Mr. Mime to sleep."

_"Mime, Mr. Mime!"_

Belle wouldn't be surprised if she looked down and saw blood flowing from her palms, the way her fingernails were digging into them. She forced herself to stop and whipped her cap off her head, running her fingers through her hair briefly before setting it back on. "Poliwhirl, Mud Shot!"

It obeyed; mud splattered across Mr. Mime, but one of his glowing shields caught most of it. It didn't hurt him enough to make him blink. "Mr. Mime, Barrier, please."

_Why doesn't she attack?_ Belle thought to herself, squinting her eyes. Well, she was going to have to take full advantage of the time that wasn't spent inflicting damage on her Pokémon. "Poliwhirl, use Double-Slap!"

Poliwhirl leapt forward, but he couldn't get through Mr. Mime's glowing shields. He fell back, grunting. Belle rethought. "Mud Shot, then Bubblebeam!"

Mud Shot once again splattered a bit of mud on Mr. Mime, but with one calm order of "Light Screen" from Sabrina, he calmly deflected Poliwhirl's Bubblebeam.

Belle was getting frustrated. "Those shields are pissing me off," she grumbled, starting to pace in her little square. She suddenly wished she had asked that weird guy in Celadon Mansion more questions instead of punching him in the jaw, but what was done was done. Didn't she teach Poliwhirl a move that he could use against Mr. Mime and actually hurt him? She ran briefly through his arsenal.

"Calm Mind," Sabrina told Mr. Mime, and he shut his eyes and swayed back and forth.

"Poliwhirl!" Belle cried, stopping in her stupid pacing. She'd had an epiphany—she knew how she was going to win this match. "Brick Break!"

Brick Break was a Fighting-type move, she knew, but she also knew it would break through defenses like Light Screen, Reflect, Barrier, and Safeguard, and that was just what she needed. Poliwhirl hurtled at Mr. Mime, throwing a huge punch; his fist glowed red as it plowed into the different shields Mr. Mime had erected. They shattered in pieces of glowing light and rained down upon the battlefield. Furthermore, Poliwhirl's fist hit directly in the middle of Mr. Mime's chest, and while Fighting was weak against Psychic, a direct hit like that couldn't be ignored; Mr. Mime was sent flying across the gym floor, landing on his bottom near Sabrina.

Belle met Sabrina's eyes over the falling shards of glass-light, a smile lifting the corner of her mouth. Now, every time Sabrina ordered Mr. Mime to put up those shields, Belle could just break them and send Mr. Mime flying. It would tire Mr. Mime out to put those shields up so many times, and eventually Poliwhirl's repeated punches would knock him out.

"What a beautiful display," Sabrina commented. Belle looked away from Sabrina's eyes. Indeed, the falling shards of Mr. Mime's broken barriers were quite beautiful, in a tragic sort of way. "Mr. Mime, Magical Leaf."

"PROTECT!" Belle shouted urgently, almost falling out of her box. Poliwhirl threw up his hands, making a glowing blue-green shield that curved around him and deflected the glowing leaves sent from Mr. Mime's hands. They dissolved and Poliwhirl dropped his shield. "Now, use Body Slam!"

Poliwhirl leapt up, soared through the air, and landed heavily on top of Mr. Mime, who crumpled under the weight and lay helpless beneath his opponent's body.

"Close-up Double-Slap!"

Belle's Water Pokémon proceeded to slap Mr. Mime hard about the face; Sabrina's mouth twitched as she watched, knowing she could do nothing to prevent it. "Now, finish it off with Bubblebeam!"

A large stream of bubbles erupted from the center of Poliwhirl's swirly belly as he leapt back, and they caught Mr. Mime about the middle and pushed him several feet. When he landed, a bit crumpled, the referee craned her neck briefly to look at him.

"Mr. Mime is unable to battle! Poliwhirl wins the battle!"

"_Yes_!" Belle cried as Sabrina returned her Pokémon.

"Do not celebrate just yet," the Gym Leader toned calmly. "We have one more battle. In this one, we shall see who is the true victor."

Belle felt her face harden as she returned Poliwhirl to his Poké Ball. "Good job," she whispered to the Ball as she put it on her belt and grabbed another. Sabrina also held a Ball; they stared at each other across the battlefield. Both knew what the other was about to do. Sabrina didn't even need her psychic powers to know which Poké Ball Belle held.

"Alakazam," Sabrina said softly, holding out her hand. The ball floated above it for a few seconds before opening and releasing a yellow human-like Pokémon holding two spoons for no apparent reason, its eyes narrowed as it took in Belle's appearance for the second time. Sabrina's eyes glowed blue, and Alakazam's glowed in response; the two held such a sacred bond that this seemed to happen whenever they were together.

Belle trembled. The Sabrina that stood across the gym floor now was the Sabrina that stood in her nightmares; those glowing blue eyes seemed to pierce her soul. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to find her focus again.

When Belle's eyes opened, they were alight with the fire of her determination. It didn't matter anymore that the only reason she came to the gym was because Derrick was coming and she had to run away. It didn't matter that Sabrina's eyes were glowing blue. It didn't matter that she had lost once before. It didn't matter that she had once been scared stiff of Sabrina. All that mattered now was the battle; she was going to win and get that Marsh Badge.

"Let's go, Charmy!" Belle threw Charmy's Poké Ball out onto the field, and the Pokémon erupted from it with a roar. Belle and Charmy shared a bond, too. It may not have been born of psychic power, but it was there, and she was more linked to him than any of her other Pokémon.

"Alakazam." Sabrina's voice was different; it came out in a strange hiss when she spoke to her closest Pokémon. "Psychic."

If there was any music to this scene, it would be low and dramatic. Belle could practically feel the drum beat in her chest. Alakazam raised its arms slowly, and Belle assessed the situation.

"Wing Attack!"

The spoon glimmered as Alakazam waved its hand; Charmy, mid-lunge, suddenly froze. There was a split-second pause before he was hurtled backwards, crashing into the stand holding up Belle's small box; she clutched the railing. "Charmy! Are you okay?"

With a determined roar, Charmy got to his feet, the corner of his lips pulled back to show his pointed teeth. He had already been defeated by Alakazam once—he wasn't about to lose to it again.

"Psycho Cut!" Sabrina rasped.

Alakazam pushed his hand into the air; waves of psychic power formed into roughly the shape of a sickle. With a sweep of his hand, Alakazam sent it hurtling toward Charmy, and the thing slammed into his chest, sending him once again into the metal support beams of Belle's box.

"Charmy!" she cried. She was _not_ going to take this lying down. "Flamethrower!"

"Light Screen!"

In an all-too-familiar display, Alakazam sent up a glowing shield of light. The Flamethrower parted and went around it, not touching Alakazam at all; but when the Psychic Pokémon looked up, beads of sweat could be seen sprouting on its forehead.

"Dragon Claw!" Belle cried before Alakazam had time to process. Charmy leapt into the air and swooped down on Alakazam; his claws glowed bluish-silver as he stuck his hand into Alakazam's misty Light Screen and slashed him right across the chest. The Psychic Pokémon cried out and was slung sideways, doing a strange pirouette before it hit the floor. Charmy arced up and away, slamming his flaming tail into Alakazam's falling form as he soared up towards the rafters.

Sabrina's glowing eyes glowed ever brighter, and Alakazam pushed himself off the floor. "Psycho Cut!" she said again.

"Be ready, Charmy!" Belle cried, moving her feet shoulder-width apart and holding her hands out. Charmy copied her without even looking, his wings beating to hold him aloft.

Alakazam formed the familiar sickle and hurled it up toward Charmy; the Charizard reached forward and caught it in his claws, roaring loudly with the effort. Sweat appeared on his forehead as he pushed at it, and finally, with a great bellow, he flung it aside, sending it flying across the gym floor and crashing into the wall; smoke billowed up from the contact point.

"Smokescreen!"

Charmy opened his mouth; black smoke poured out, filling the gym. Belle cried out something unintelligible. Black smoke curled all around, pushing into her mouth and nostrils, but she held her sleeve over her mouth and nose and closed one eye, trying to peer through the thickness.

Alakazam couldn't see either; after many agonizing seconds, he sensed a shift in the smoke. He looked up just in time to see the smoke tear apart and a Charizard burst through. Charmy's claws shot out and raked his face, leaving three parallel gash marks across his cheek. Alakazam cried out and stumbled backwards; Charmy escaped to the rafters as the smoke cleared once more.

"Flamethrower, quick!"

Charmy spun quickly in the middle of his ascent and blew hot flames out of his mouth. Alakazam's distraction allowed the fire to burn a hole through his misty Light Screen and get in a direct hit; he bellowed and stumbled, hitting one knee as the flames poured over him. Charmy snapped his mouth shut and flapped his wings hard enough to send him to the top of the building again, leering down at his opponent.

Sabrina took a step forward; her hair fell across her face and one hand reached out to grasp the rail of her box. Her lips parted, showing her teeth, as her glowing eyes widened. "ALAKAZAM," she screamed in a voice that no longer sounded anywhere near calm.

Despite Sabrina's appearance, Belle wasn't afraid. She gritted her teeth and stepped to the edge of her box, wishing she could be closer to the battlefield. "Charmy!" she yelled, and her voice cut through her throat like a razor.

"PSYCHIC."

Alakazam looked possessed as it raised its arms, its head falling back slightly, the spoons shaking uncontrollably though its hands remained still.

"Fire Blast!" Belle cried, tightening her grip on the rail in front of her. Charmy lowered himself a bit and opened his mouth; the flames started to pour out just as a huge wave of Psychic energy pulsed out of Alakazam.

The beam of fire smacked straight into the wave of energy and spread out over it, but neither Pokémon could advance; Charmy's eyes narrowed and it bellowed despite the flames pouring from its throat, and Alakazam let out a strange yell as it tried to push its energy harder. Belle leaned forward, and before she knew it, she was screaming too, her voice rising in pitch and volume until it was a shrill, loud tone that made her feel as though her face was about to explode. Sabrina was also yelling, her eyes glowing so much that it was like tiny blue suns were in her eye sockets instead of eyes. She leaned over the rail, her hair slipping forward from her shoulders and dangling out over the battlefield.

Belle slowly began to raise her arm as if possessed, screaming as she cocked it back; she launched it forward as if throwing something, and Charmy pushed his fire so hard that it burst through Alakazam's energy and washed over Alakazam himself. Sabrina went stiff and her scream doubled in volume, her head lolling back and her hair whipping about her as if in a wind only she could experience. Alakazam's yell rose until it mingled with Sabrina's and they were yelling with one single voice.

Belle's screaming didn't stop. She leapt up onto the rail of her box, pushing her upper body forward until she was curved over the field, hands balled into fists and throat straining. Alakazam and Sabrina screamed as if they were both awash in flames; Belle and Charmy bellowed as if they were both hammering fire from out of their stomachs.

Finally Charmy stopped, his mouth shutting as he hovered above Alakazam, who was lying flat on his back and still screaming. Sabrina's cries didn't stop, either; suddenly, the glow from her eyes turned blazing white, and she spread her arms, hollering as she rose into the air. Alakazam's chest rose, leading his body as it levitated above the floor.

Belle raised her arm and brought it down again; Charmy mimicked her motion at the same time, bringing his fist onto Alakazam's chest and forcing him to cave in, his back smashing against the floor. Sabrina screamed even harder; her head fell back more as Alakazam's voice died away, the white glow from his eyes fading. Sabrina's cry persisted until finally she collapsed on the floor of her box, a crumpled heap of tangled black hair. Belle wavered on her box railing, suddenly dizzy; Charmy slowly brought himself down so that his feet touched the floor and took a step back. An eerie silence rang through the room, a calm following the storm of the century.

Belle had defeated Sabrina.

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life, thompson_.alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject: **I'm not dead.

* * *

Hi guys,

I'm fine. I spent those three weeks at the Fighting Dojo. I battled Sabrina; it was intense. I have the Marsh Badge now.

I'm really sorry about your contest, Cassandra. Don't give up.

You two don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. I'm fine. Nothing about me has changed. You're just worrying too much.

Charmy is Charizard now.

Love you guys,

Belle

* * *

_Hi, everybody!! Thanks so much for reviewing:_

_**Mo12341234 **(Haha, I like Sailor Moon too, but I'm reluctant to start the Japanese series sense there's, like, a MILLION episodes.)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Wow, you really hate Sakura. 0.o I think Cassandra would appreciate your support.)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Wow, people certainly do have some strong feelings about Sakura...but thanks! You were impressed? ^_^)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Well, everyone else kinda wants her to die, but you're just disappointed. At least not everyone here is violent. Thanks for your review!)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Another nonviolent review!! Wow, thanks!! ^_^)_

_I really do attract some violent reviewers...well, as long as it's not me you wanna beat the crap out of, that's fine! And don't worry everybody, Sakura will get hers...eventually._

_Thanks for staying with me!_


	31. Chapter 30

Alyssa leaned forward in her chair, watching the screen intently as Goldeen's horn dug itself into Finny's flesh. She grabbed her mouse to pause the video and dragged it back to Sakura's look at the judges; Ziggy shifted in her lap, craning to see.

This was some rare free time, and Alyssa was spending it studying Cassandra's Contest video to see if there was any evidence that Konohana was cheating. So far, the only evidence she had gotten was that one particular judge was being incredibly unfair. While that didn't spell out cheating verbatim, it did point to it.

"What are you doing?" Ian asked, entering the room. Prinplup waddled behind him, heading for the bed; Ziggy leapt off Alyssa's lap and scuttled over to the Water Pokémon.

"Looking at this. My friend Cassandra thinks this girl might have bribed a judge."

"You sure she's not just a sore loser?" Ian joked. Alyssa shot him a look so angry he stopped walking toward her. "Sorry. It was just a joke."

"Please don't talk about my friends that way. Cassandra wouldn't make an accusation like that without reason."

Ian held up his hands. "Okay. I'm sorry. What have you got?"

"Well, all I've got is that this match is _completely_ unfair."

"How so?" Ian came up behind her and leaned on the back of the computer chair.

"Several times, this judge docks Cassandra for unnecessary roughness when the tactics she was using were completely legal—and then, when this Konohana girl does something that would be considered unnecessary roughness under normal circumstances, and she's not penalized at all. In fact, she wins the match. Look—see that red spot? That's _blood_."

"Holy crap," Ian said, leaning forward slightly and squinting. "And she didn't get penalized for that? Do you know the rules for Contests?"

"Got 'em right here." Alyssa pulled up a window she had, which listed the Contest rules. "I'm thinking about making an investigation."

"It'd never get off the ground," Ian said. "How would you go about telling Chairperson Erma how you got the information?"

"Anonymous tip-off," Alyssa replied immediately. "I don't have to disclose the name that way."

Ian grinned. "You're really thinking like a Ranger. But it's the Hoenn Region Police Department that needs to get investigating that crap, and since the president's son is a famous Coordinator, I doubt it'll happen."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. She hated politics. "You wanna go down to the lounge and get some coffee?"

Ian groaned miserably. "No," he said, plopping down to sit on Alyssa's bed. Ziggy jumped on the bed and laid down by his leg. Every Top Ranger had their own room, almost apartment-like. They all had a front room, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. The Ranger Union provided them with top-of-the-line computers, of which Alyssa took full advantage. "My legs are _killing_ me."

Alyssa laughed at him as she closed out her windows. "Three weeks and you're _still _not used to the exercise routine?"

"They make us do stupid obstacle courses every day! They give the men more than the women, I swear."

"Ian, the men and the women do their exercises _together_. We have the same routine. Eat some bananas or something."

"What's that have to do with anything?"

"Potassium helps with cramps." Alyssa logged off her computer and swiveled around in the chair, smiling. _We're really friends,_ she thought as Ian smiled back.

Today they had a day off; they wore everyday clothes. It was getting cold, so Ian wore long pants and a hoodie. Alyssa had learned to get dressed on days off instead of lounging in her pajamas, because if Chairperson Erma didn't call with an I'm-sorry-I-know-it's-your-day-off-but-we-need-you-for-a-quest-and-everyone-else-is-busy call, Ian dropped by unannounced. She wasn't sure how he got into her locked room. He must have figured out her keycode.

"Is that what you do?"

"That, and I got used to the routine."

Ian scowled. "Some days hit me harder than others, okay?"

"I'm sure that's what it is." Alyssa stood and stretched. "I'm bored. I've been in my room all day. Erma hasn't called me _once_. Knock on wood!" she said hastily, rapping her knuckles against her desk. It was a silly superstition, but it was one she had grown up with, and now it was habit.

"She calls you on your days off, too? Good, I thought I was the only one."

"Keith says she does that to everybody," Alyssa offered, going over to the shelf above her bed and plucking a snowglobe off it. Prinplup looked over at it, interested.

"So you've been hanging out with Keith a lot?" Ian's voice sounded strange as he asked the question.

"No." She laughed as she shook the globe, letting snow fall on Snowpoint, as if they didn't already have enough. "I was just talking to him yesterday. He was going on a quest on his day off. See it, Prinny?"

_Quests_ were things regular civilians asked of them. More often than not they were small things, like gathering Drifblim to help move or finding lost Pokémon. Most of the time people would just grab Rangers if they saw them on the street, but sometimes they would come straight up to the Ranger Union and request that a Ranger help them.

"Oh. Okay."

"Why? Are you _jealous_?" Alyssa asked teasingly, setting her snowglobe back on its shelf.

"N-no," Ian stammered, his face turning red. Alyssa blushed too. It was nice to get reassurances that he had a crush on her, but it was embarrassing, too. She brushed some bangs out of her eyes. "And don't call Prinplup _Prinny_."

"But he likes it. Don't ya, Prinny?" Alyssa laughed as she got a Prinplup scowl in reply. "That's okay. I have a Partner Pokémon who _likes_ being called a nickname. Right, Ziggy?"

"_Goon_!" Ziggy leapt up and scuttled over to Alyssa, leaping into her arms. She laughed and scratched his ears.

Alyssa's Styler vibrated from her desk. Once she became a Top Ranger, she had gotten one of their Stylers—it fastened to her wrist instead of being handheld. The Ranger Union communicated through these Stylers. Operators were usually the ones who handled calling Rangers from the base, but Rangers also communicated through them.

"No," Alyssa groaned as she picked it up. She hit a button. "This is Alyssa Thompson speaking."

"Good afternoon, Alyssa. This is Rhythmi." Rhythmi was the best Operator the Ranger Union had, and also the busiest, so she spoke rather quickly. "Chairperson Erma would like to speak with you and Ian—would he happen to be with you?"

"Yes, he is," Alyssa replied. Talking to someone on the Styler was like talking to someone on speakerphone. Ian glanced up at her, wincing.

"Good. Please meet Chairperson Erma on the third floor in fifteen minutes. Rhythmi out."

Sighing, Alyssa strapped her Styler to her wrist and threw on a jacket. She grabbed her wallet and shifted Ziggy so that he hung from her shoulder, sniffling near her ear—his favorite traveling spot.

"Come on, Ian. Let's go see what Erma wants."

* * *

The third floor was just a large chamber filled with huge computers; Operators sat everywhere, headsets on, pressing different flashing buttons and talking animatedly. Rhythmi's blonde head bobbed as she hurried to press different buttons, talking quickly the whole time.

Chairperson Erma stood from her seat and beckoned to Alyssa and Ian as they entered; she was a very old woman, with silver hair tied back in two thick bunches and a wrinkly face. Her back was stooped, and she relied on a cane to walk, the handle of which was shaped into a Sandslash. She wasn't a skinny old woman, by any means. Alyssa always thought of her as someone's granny—Granny Erma. She always wore dresses with crocheted sweaters.

"Good afternoon, you two," Erma said, her cane thunking against the tiled floor as she walked over to meet them.

"Good afternoon, Gr—Chairperson Erma," Alyssa replied.

"Good afternoon," Ian echoed.

"I have a mission for you two—no, it doesn't start today, so don't panic. Follow me." With surprising speed, Erma clunked across the floor and to the stairs, taking them down to the second floor. She led them into a large room with black walls, floor, and ceiling. "Shut the door, please, Ian."

Ian did so, throwing the room into complete darkness, and Erma cleared her throat. "Computer! Bring up most recent data."

The computer in question whirred to life; a map of Almia appeared beneath their feet, and the walls began pulling up pictures and data files in an organized manner. Among the pictures were landscapes, what looked like mugshots, and snapshots of suspicious-looking people carrying briefcases from different angles and from various distances. The ceiling showed a perfectly clear, blue sky.

"Um, Chairperson Erma…what does the sky have to do with anything?" Alyssa asked, pointing up at the ceiling. The old woman looked up, bracing a hand on her back.

"I just think it adds a nice feeling. Now, what's happening here…we've done a bit of digging on that prisoner you two apprehended—"—Alyssa had to work very hard to keep still, but she wanted to squeal _That makes it sound so cool!_—"—and this is what we've come up with. Upon asking him his name, he simply said that he was a Galactic Grunt, no more. He then asked us for some hair dye—Computer, hair dye bottle."

The wall pulled up a picture of a box of hair dye. On the front was a picture of a smiling girl with long, bright blue hair the color of Team Galactic's hair.

"Look at this," Erma said, gesturing towards the screen. "Notice the name of it?"

"Happy Hair Brand Hair Dye?" Ian said. "Sounds cheesy."

"No," Erma snapped impatiently, tapping her cane on the floor. "Computer, name of color."

The computer wall brought up a close-up picture of the corner of the box, which read—

"Galactic Blue, Number 476," Alyssa said.

"Exactly," Erma replied.

"Is there any correlation between the company and Team Galactic?"

"Actually, that's what we want you two to find out." Erma rolled her head and adjusted her shoulders, looking as though she was trying to crack her back.

"You can't be serious," Ian said.

"Yes, I am. We can't do everything from here, you know."

"But what about the mugshot?" Ian pointed up at the picture in question. Erma laughed.

"Oh, that's just a picture of Mr. Galactic Grunt. We found out his actual name—Terrence Miller, from Veilstone City. Computer, zoom in, current mugshot."

The mugshot became larger-than-life on the screen. It certainly was their prisoner; only in the picture, the roots of his hair were dark brown. "What's up with his hair?" Alyssa asked.

"He dyes it," Erma said. "When we questioned him further, he said that all members of Team Galactic—except for the commanders—dye their hair with this exact color, brand and all. Their warehouse is apparently full of it. The factory is in Pueltown, so we'd like you to head there and do some reconnaissance."

"You've got to be kidding," Ian said, pushing his face into his hand. "I—I—that just sounds so…"

"Trivial?" Erma supplied. "Miniscule? Non-important?"

"Why aren't we looking into _why_ Team Galactic wanted to blow up the Ranger School?"

"We are! I'm sorry to burden you two with this stupid little mission," Erma added apologetically, "but we need someone to do it, and, as with most companies…we send the rookies to do the small work."

"What do the pictures of the guys with briefcases have to do with anything, then?" Ian asked.

"Oh—those are just screenshots from an action movie I was watching last night," Erma replied. "Computer! Move screenshot images into Erma's folder." All the pictures of the men with briefcases zoomed away into a folder along with all the pictures of landscapes, leaving the walls quite blank. "Anyway, you two—computer, underfoot map of Pueltown—the company's main factory is in Pueltown. We don't know much about it, except that they seem to have been established around the time Team Galactic became prominent in Sinnoh. You'll have to find everything else out. Computer, mark Happy Hair Company Factory."

Alyssa tried not to groan. This sounded so stupid. She looked down at the red X in Pueltown, memorizing where it was—she had an excellent sense of direction. "So, all we know is that every member of Team Galactic is required to dye their hair with this stuff?"

"Yes. The Pueltown Ranger Base will be expecting you day after tomorrow. Get packing and planning!"

"There's no _plan_?" Ian asked incredulously. Erma shot him a look, and he cleared his throat. "I mean—ma'am, I would have expected that the Ranger Union, being full of intelligent people, would provide a plan for us."

"Well, the Ranger Union certainly is chock-full of intelligent people. And last time I checked, you two were in the Ranger Union. So provide yourselves a plan!" Erma beamed. "We expect regular check-ins, and your schedule is to remain perfectly normal—that means that you don't get a day off to plan and pack tomorrow. You will do your daily exercise regimen and go on patrol as per usual. Any questions? Good. Dismissed!"

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** They've got to be kidding.

* * *

Sooooo!! I've been sent on my first mission as a Top Ranger!

To a hair-dye factory.

Yeah. I'm supposed to be figuring out whether or not they're related to Team Galactic. It's so dumb. What if they're not? Then I'm just going to be wasting my time snooping around some innocent hair-dye factory. But whatever! It's my job! I'm getting paid for it!

Oh, did you get Belle's last email? I'm so relieved that she's not dead or anything, but why did she spend so much time at the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City? That doesn't seem like her. I'm still really worried about her. Something's wrong and she's not telling us. Or me, anyway. If she tells you anything, blab it on over, will ya?

Reviewed your video; it REALLY looks like Konohana's cheating, but there's no concrete proof, so there's really nothing I can do. =( Sorry. Just remember to steer clear of her from now on. Good luck on your next contest! I know you'll do great! (You're not giving up, are you?)

All my love (well, most—gotta save some for Ian! XD),

Alyssa

* * *

_Hi, everyone! It's time for Chapter 30!! If you read the part about the Hoenn President's son being a Coordinator, that's a reference to a story (Brewing a Storm) that my good friend Caigus of the White Lions wrote. It's a great story, so read it, too!!_

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 29:_

_**Mo12341234 **(Ah, filler episodes make me want to shoot myself in the foot. But yeah---Sabrina was always really freaky to me too. As I recall, wasn't there a little girl Sabrina in the gym with her? FREAKY. Oh! And I sent you a friend request on YouTube!! I'm angryfrozenpoptart, so accept me please!!! XD)---And if anybody else wants to add me, just send me a friend request and a message telling me who you are. I'll add you!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Yay! I'm glad other people are as proud of my characters as I am. ^_^)_

_**Shichimon **(A newcomer!! I'm glad you like it so much, and thanks for your kindness!! ^_^ As for the whole self-insert thing, I'd be a liar if I said I'm not in it at all; in all actuality, different bits of myself are in each character. Put together, Alyssa, Cassandra, and Belle would equal me---minus a few cool stuff I threw in to flesh out their characters and make them real. However, my other fanfics have me in them very blatantly, such as **It's Worth Getting Past the Edges**, which is a Pheonix Wright fanfic that mashes me and Edgeworth together. I didn't know anyone actually read my profile. o.0 Thanks for the question! And could you please keep reviewing? Pweeze? =D)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Haha, yeah, I kinda scared myself writing it. Thank you for reviewing!!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Hope you like my tip-of-the-hat toward your story!! And thanks for all your kind words---sorry about your brain exploding. =( You're not suing me, are you?)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(I'm a little disappointed that you didn't like the battle scene, because it's the best I've ever written. Truthfully, I don't particularly like writing OR reading long, detailed battles, so I see where you're coming from---I even shy away from action movies most of the time, though **Sherlock Holmes** and **V for Vendetta** are probably my faves. But thanks for sticking with me anyway!!)_


	32. Chapter 31

Cassandra smiled as she gently pulled the blankets up on Karen's bed to cover the girl's shoulders. She felt strangely motherly toward her now; she wasn't quite sure why.

Fluffy stood behind her, wagging its tail slightly as she headed for the door. It knew to be quiet when someone was asleep. Last night, Cassandra had allowed all her Pokémon to curl up with her in the bed. She had tried not to disturb Karen as she softly cried herself to sleep, and her Pokémon had helped her; Swablu had gently dabbed her tears with its wings, Finny had laid beside her and hugged her, and Fluffy had cuddled up to her front, putting his cold nose on her neck and sniffling every once and a while.

Cassandra picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She hadn't called her mother yet; she was planning on doing that later this morning. She had, however, talked to the lady who ran the PokéLove, and she had agreed to let Cassandra stay for a reduced price because of the length of time she needed the room. Cassandra wasn't leaving Fallarbor Town until she won the Super Rank Contest.

No ash was falling outside; a grateful Cassandra stuffed her umbrella in her backpack and made her way around the back of the building, where she liked to train. She frowned when she noticed a thin draft of smoke wafting up from the back of the building. It wasn't big enough for anything to be on fire…what was going on?

As she turned the corner, a strange sight met Cassandra's eyes; a girl she had never seen before was leaning against the wall, a cigarette to her lips. She had red hair that tumbled down her shoulders, and she wore jeans and a gray sweater. A Glaceon stood by her side, but it wasn't normal at all. Instead of being blue, its coat was a dusty blue-gray color. Also, a normal Glaceon's shoulder would come about to mid-shin; this Glaceon's shoulder came to the girl's knee, almost Mightyena-size.

The girl turned her head and smiled slightly, and Cassandra recognized her—it was Sakura Konohana.

"Well, hello, Cassandra." She took another drag of the cigarette and blew a smoke ring into the air.

Fluffy, down by Cassandra's ankles, started growling in the back of his throat. "Hello, Miss Konohana."

"Oh, it's Miss Konohana now? Did I do something wrong?" She turned fully toward Cassandra, flicking the ashes of her cigarette toward the ground and smiling as the Glaceon at her feet wound itself around her legs like a giant cat…or Persian. "I guess I did beat you yesterday…are you a bit sore about that?"

Cassandra looked at the demure smile and realized it for what it was—devilish. No longer could she see Sakura as a kind, quiet, confident girl. No. She was evil. "I'm just a bit upset about your methods."

"Methods?" Sakura's smile broadened and her eyes narrowed. "Whatever do you mean, Cassandra dear?"

Joanna's face flashed into Cassandra's mind. "You know exactly what I mean. You and I both know what you did, and I'm pretty sure we both know it's wrong."

Sakura brought the cigarette to her lips once more and surveyed Cassandra as she puffed on it. "All's fair in love and war, sweetie. I do what it takes to win."

Cassandra took a step toward her; the Glaceon made a soft warning hiss. "Who's this?" she asked, gesturing to the Pokémon.

"This? Oh, this is Isis."

"She doesn't look like a normal Glaceon. Come to think of it, Deena's been looking a little larger than a normal Goldeen."

Sakura smiled gently. She reached down; Isis shoved her head into the palm of Sakura's hand. "No. I find that giving my Pokémon certain…_medications_ increases their chances of winning."

"Somehow I don't think you're talking about Protein."

Sakura laughed; it was a sinister sound. "You catch on quickly. Unfortunately, the medicine I gave poor Isis depleted the color of her coat, so she's no longer contest-worthy. She is, however, perfect for fending off anyone who decides they want to pick a fight with me." With that, Sakura's green eyes found Cassandra's blue ones and locked on. "She doesn't differentiate between human and Pokémon."

Cassandra heard Fluffy's growling get louder. "Hm. So she doesn't care who she hurts?"

"No. She does not."

"Sometimes…neither do I." Cassandra took another step forward; Isis leapt toward her.

She wasn't sure what happened next; all she knew was that there was a brilliant flash of light, and then she was sitting on the ground close to where she had been standing, a Mightyena standing in front of her in a way that his entire body blocked hers, hackles raised and growling. Isis stood across from him, hair on her back rising up. She hissed; Mightyena responded with a vicious snarl. Sakura, too, was on the ground; she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Well, well…what do we have here? It seems your little Fluffy made me lose my cigarette. Isis, make him pay!"

The Glaceon opened her mouth as if to blow ice at him, but the Mightyena bounded forward and closed his jaws around her neck. He shook her twice before tossing her several feet away.

Cassandra smiled grimly and got to her feet, brushing dirt off the back of her jeans as she did so. "Looks like my little Fluffy also made you lose your Glaceon."

Sakura angrily reached for her belt, where three other Poké Balls were lined up. Fluffy stepped forward and snarled. With satisfaction, Cassandra observed that he had somehow become larger than a regular Mightyena—his back would be almost above her hip if he stood next to her.

"Don't you dare reach for another Pokémon," Cassandra snapped. "Get the hell out of Fallarbor Town. Go on and win in Slateport—I don't give a crap. But if we ever meet again, Sakura Konohana, I will beat your cheating ass so hard you'll wish you'd never been born—and I don't mean in a battle."

Sakura glanced over at Isis, lying unconscious several feet away, and then back to Fluffy, growling severely close to her stomach. With a scowl, she turned away, returning Isis to her Poké Ball and marching off around the side of the building.

"Don't think this is over, Cassandra Étoile," Sakura snapped before she disappeared. Cassandra smiled as the redhead swished away.

"I don't," she murmured, and Fluffy turned to her, perking up his ears and wagging his tail as if nothing had happened.

* * *

At around lunchtime, Karen came outside to join Cassandra. She wore a pastel blue sweater and thick white leggings underneath a blue-and-white checked miniskirt, and her pink braids bounced on her back as she skipped out from the building, a picnic basket on one arm. When she arrived at Cassandra's favorite training ground—a patch of grass protected by trees so that ash didn't fall on it—she and Tuffly spread out a blanket and waited for Cassandra to take a break.

"What time is it?" Cassandra asked, sitting cross-legged on the blanket and picking up a sandwich. It was obviously from the small dining room in the PokèLove.

Karen folded her legs under her. "It's around noon."

"I've been out here _that_ long?" She sighed, looking down at the pieces of white bread. She still needed to call her mother and inform her of her loss.

"Mm-hm!" Karen said brightly. "So, we're staying in Fallarbor Town until the next contest, right?"

"Right," Cassandra replied. "Why? Do you not want to stay with me?"

Karen grinned. "Of course I want to stay with you. I would be disappointed if you wanted to go back home."

Cassandra laughed quietly and took a bite of her sandwich. Fluffy wandered over and laid next to her, pushing his head against her leg and closing his eyes. Swablu landed gently on her head, tucking herself to look like a giant hat, and Finny sneakily stole a sandwich.

A sound broke the peaceful silence—something was in the bushes nearby. Surrounded by forest, Cassandra was a bit nervous. Anything could be hiding behind the trees. Fluffy sat up, his ears perked up, a growl starting in the back of his throat. He stood up and prowled around behind Cassandra, staring into the trees.

And then something burst out; it was white and red and black, a blinding blur of colors as it streaked by. Barking, Fluffy turned and ran after it.

"Ah!" Cassandra dropped her sandwich onto the blanket and stumbled to her feet, running after Fluffy. Finny dropped to all fours and followed; Swablu lifted gently from her head and flew in front.

Fluffy's barking got louder as Cassandra ran; she was so glad that she had worn tennis shoes. She leapt over a confused Spinda and followed Finny's bouncing tail, breathing hard.

Finally she rounded a corner and saw Fluffy growling. He had cornered a white, horse-like Pokémon, with a flowing mane of fire. Its flank heaved and sweat poured from it as it eyed the three Pokémon surrounding it. It had its hindquarters against the side of a wooden house.

"A Ponyta," Cassandra whispered to herself, taking a step forward. Her fingertips itched, and she imagined herself sitting sidesaddle atop a beautiful Rapidash, hair flowing in the wind.

The Ponyta took a step back, tossing its head; its hindquarters bumped into the wooden house and it started, pawing the ground and glaring at the creatures massed around it. What should she do? Cassandra wanted this Pokémon. She wanted it so bad she could taste it on the back of her tongue.

"Ponyta," she said, going to stand beside Fluffy. "Do you belong to anyone?"

The Ponyta snorted, almost indignantly, and reared up on its hind legs, lashing out with its front hooves. Cassandra stumbled backwards and almost covered her ears as the Pokémon let loose a high-pitched squeal of rage. _So it's not going down without a fight,_ Cassandra thought, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Fine. She needed a challenge.

"Fluffy! Use Bite!"

Fluffy leapt forward as the Ponyta returned to all fours and bit down on its leg; with a squeal, Ponyta brought its other hoof up and clocked Fluffy on the head. He backed away, growling.

"C'mon, Fluffy! You can do this! Bring it down—but not too hard!"

Finny and Swablu stayed around to keep the Ponyta fenced in, and Fluffy leapt at it again. Ponyta blew fire out of its mouth, but Fluffy leapt aside and closed his teeth around its neck. Ponyta squealed with displeasure and attempted to shake the wolf-like Pokémon off; but Fluffy persisted. Finally, he let go and Tackled Ponyta to the ground; it laid on its side, squealing in fear and rage as Fluffy stood over it. It lashed out with its hooves, but Fluffy dodged and lifted up the corners of his lips, revealing his long, sharp teeth. For a moment, Ponyta froze, its eyes widening.

Cassandra reached into her pocket and pulled out a Poké Ball. Unlike most Trainers, she felt no need to yell "Poké Ball, go!" when she threw it; she just tossed it at Ponyta, catching it in its shocked state. The Ball opened and a white light engulfed the Pokémon, drawing it inside the ball.

Now was the worst part, in Cassandra's opinion. Her eyes remained fixed on the Ball as it wiggled slowly—left, right, pause. Left, right, pause. Left, right—_ding_! The circle in the middle glowed red for a brief second and the Ball stilled.

"_Yes_!" Cassandra cried, pouncing on the Ball and holding it up. "Everyone, say hello to your new team member—Ellia the Ponyta!"

After a few congratulatory noises from the Pokémon around her, Cassandra headed back toward Karen and her picnic lunch.

* * *

Cassandra headed back to the PokéLove after finishing her lunch, leaving Karen on the checkered blanket. She opened her polka-dotted umbrella so she wouldn't get covered in ash and walked to the small inn with Fluffy at her side, just in case she ran into Sakura again.

Once in her suite, Cassandra put away her backpack and umbrella and headed to the little video-phone in the corner. She could have done this in the Pokémon Center, but the privacy of her suite was so much more appealing.

Fluffy laid down by her side as Cassandra began dialing the familiar number on her phone. It started ringing, the screen showing static. One ring…two rings…three rings…after six rings, it would go to voicemail. Cassandra leaned forward. Four rings…five rings…

"Hello? Oh, Cassandra!" Dorothia smiled brightly at the screen. "How is everything?"

"Fine," Cassandra replied, happy that she could have gotten a smiling face first. "Is my mother home, Dorothia?"

"Yes, honey. I'll go and get her. Miss Joanna!" Dorothia left the frame, and Cassandra looked at the empty kitchen for a few moments, smiling as she took in the familiar diamond-patterned tile floor and the small table where she and her father liked to have lunch. At least the _kitchen_ held nice memories.

Soon, though, the image switched to Joanna's face. Of course she wouldn't come downstairs to talk on the kitchen phone—behind her was her tall four-poster bed with elegant white comforter, the vanity with the large gilded mirror and various bottles containing perfume or makeup sitting atop it, the door to the master bathroom.

Joanna pushed her platinum blonde bangs out of her blue eyes and fixed Cassandra with a gaze, a cold smile appearing on her lips. "It's so nice to hear from you, Cassandra dear," she said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear to reveal a lovely pearl earring. "It seems as though it's been forever."

"It certainly has been a while, Mother," Cassandra replied. "I wonder…did you watch my contest on television?"

"I did not, dear. I had some _important_ things to do."

Fluffy growled a bit.

Cassandra tried to keep the scowl off her face. While a part of her had known her mother hadn't watched the contest, she had still harbored a small hope that she would. "And what were they, Mother?"

"Nancy came down and just insisted that I take her to that little bistro in Rustboro. We spent so long there we lost track of time; that food is to die for. I'm afraid I simply couldn't watch it, Cassandra dear."

Fluffy sat up, his head coming to about her shoulder, and snarled at the screen. He hadn't forgotten Joanna's voice.

"Oh my!" Joanna said, jumping. "What _is_ that wretched thing?"

"This is Fluffy, Mother. Certainly you remember Fluffy?"

"Why, yes, but…Fluffy was a small black thing, was he not?"

Cassandra smiled sweetly. "Oh, but he's evolved, Mother. Now, back to my contest. I have some bad news."

Joanna picked up a glass of wine and sipped it daintily, a scowl on her features. She did _not_ like vicious-looking creatures, and she did _not_ like bad news.

"I lost the Fallarbor Contest."

There was a pause. Joanna glanced up over the rim of her wine glass, frozen. Slowly, she pulled it away from her lips, watching her own arm as she set it down on the table on which the phone rested. After a minute of staring at her hand holding the glass, she slowly pulled her arm back toward her and let it sit in her lap. And then, ever so slowly, a smile crept onto her face, full of malice, coming straight from her cold heart.

"You lost?" Joanna said almost happily, looking up at Cassandra through the video phone.

Cassandra bit back her remark and simply nodded.

"Well…I suppose—"

But then there was the sound of a door being thrown open, and a big, manly voice boomed, "I'm home, dear! Oh—sorry. Didn't realize you were on the phone. Who are you talking to?" Cassandra smiled as Joanna glanced over her shoulder and Gerald walked into the frame, loosening his tie. He leaned down over Joanna's shoulder and grinned broadly. "Sandy-bear! It's so nice to hear from you! How long has it been, sweetie? Where's that other chair, Joanna? I wanna talk to her too!" Gerald looked around and briefly disappeared from the frame; then, scowling, Joanna scooted over to allow him to set a chair on the floor and sit beside her, grinning into the phone. "Goodness gracious, a Mightyena! That can't be our old Fluffy!"

Fluffy barked, wagging his tail. He remembered Gerald's voice as well.

"Ah, good boy! He's doing well, then?"

"Very well, Father," Cassandra replied. "Actually, he's bigger than a regular Mightyena."

"That's very interesting," Gerald said thoughtfully, stroking his goatee. "Well, how was your contest?"

"She lost," Joanna said, a thin-lipped smile crossing her face. Gerald frowned at the phone.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Sandy-bear. I'm also sorry I couldn't watch. The President called an emergency meeting, and there's nothing I can do about that. I had been planning on showing up and surprising you."

Cassandra smiled happily. "It's okay, Da—Father."

"What do you think we should do?" Joanna asked, turning to Gerald.

Gerald frowned, looking at his wife. "What do you mean?"

"Well, she lost a contest. Don't you think she should give up this silly nonsense and come home now? We can't have her wasting our money up there."

"Come now, Joanna, everyone makes mistakes!" Gerald laughed, his voice booming through the phone. "Even the best Coordinators lose some! Our Sandy-bear losing one contest isn't enough to make her give up and come home! This is her dream—right, Sandy-bear?"

Cassandra nodded, smiling happily.

"Good, good. Now…where will you be staying until the next contest?"

"At this little inn called the PokéLove."

"That's quite a quaint little inn! Wouldn't you say, Joanna? We stayed there once!"

"Indeed," she replied, tight-lipped. Cassandra wanted to laugh.

"When's the next contest?"

"Next month," Cassandra replied. "About…five weeks away."

"That's plenty of time to get everything together!" Gerald said, clapping his hands. "We'll keep sending you money, so work hard! Right, Joanna?"

"Certainly," Joanna replied, snatching up her wine glass. She went to drain it, but Gerald took it from her.

"It's not even five o'clock yet, dear. So, any good news, Sandy-bear?"

"I caught a Ponyta today. I nicknamed her Ellia."

"A Ponyta, hm?" Joanna gently swept more hair behind her ear. "I suppose that's a decent Pokémon. And you named her _Ellia_?" She smiled as scorn edged into her voice.

"A darling name!" Gerald proclaimed happily, and Joanna's smile slid off her face as easily as half-melted butter. "And Ponyta evolves into Rapidash, no? Beautiful! That will be absolutely beautiful!"

"Thanks, Dad," Cassandra said. "Well, I guess I'd better be going. My traveling companion is due back any minute. Did you ever meet Karen, Father, Mother?"

"Karen?" Joanna asked. Gerald tapped his finger to his lips thoughtfully.

"She hangs around the Rustboro City PokéCenter all the time."

"Oh, Karen Lowell!" Gerald said, snapping his fingers. "Yes, I did meet her. She has that Wigglytuff she calls Tuffly!"

Joanna's eyebrows raised. "Wigglytuff?"

"And she has that long pink hair!"

Joanna's eyebrows raised even higher. "Pink hair?"

"That's right," Cassandra said, smiling. "She's traveling with me. Her parents are hippies, and they believe in the harmony of humans and Pokémon."

Joanna's eyebrows were in danger of disappearing into her hair. Her mouth fell open in surprise.

Just then, the suite door opened and Karen came in, her umbrella in one hand and the picnic basket in the other. Tuffly shut the door behind them. "I'm home!" Karen called happily.

"Oh, you're just in time! I'm about to say good-bye to my parents; you should come over here and say hello!"

"Oh—hello!" Karen leaned into the frame, her pink braids swinging down to precede her. "It's nice to meet you!"

"Lovely to meet you, too!" Gerald said. Joanna spluttered speechlessly.

"Oh, Karen, would you like to call your parents?"

"Oh, no, we don't have a phone," Karen replied cheerily. "We don't believe in them. Well, good-bye, Mr. and Mrs. Étoile!"

"Good-bye!" Gerald said. "Love you, Sandy-bear!"

"Love you too, Dad."

And the screen went blank, Joanna still gaping as it did. Cassandra laughed and turned away from the screen, patting Fluffy and heading over to her bed.

"No offense, Cassandra, but…I got the feeling that your mom is kinda evil." Karen went to her own bed and plopped down, grabbing a coloring book.

Cassandra only laughed harder.

* * *

**To: **thompson_alyssa

**From: **dancing_through_life

**Subject: **Ahhh…

* * *

Well, I talked to Konohana today.

She has a giant Glaceon called Isis (isn't that a goddess of fertility? 0.o) that's all gray, and she says she gives her Pokémon medications to make them perform better. She sort of admitted to cheating, but not really. She annoyed the hell out of me, so I tried to fight her and her weird big Glaceon tried to fight me, but Fluffy evolved into Mightyena and fought back, sooooo…

I also caught a Ponyta. I named her Ellia. Isn't that pretty? ^_^ I need to try to train with her—I want to ride her!!

Yeah, I got Belle's last email. She's not telling me anything—I get the exact same emails as you. She just sends us the same one. I'm so worried about her…something's definitely not right.

It sucks about your mission, but hey! It's your FIRST MISSION! *confetti confetti* Be happy anyway!!

Love lots and lots,

Cassandra

* * *

**To:** dingdongbelle

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** Worry!

* * *

I know you know we're worried about you, but I'm telling you again: we're worried about you. Please stop keeping us in the dark. That's all I'll say.

Love,

Cassandra

* * *

_EPIC CASSANDRA SAKURA BATTLE!!! ...but not really. And now, a huge thanks to everybody who reviewed my story!_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Teehee, you're very perceptive... ;)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Ha, you'll hate Sakura even more in your next review, I'm sure...oh, and by the way, I looked at your profile, and I'm very sorry about your cat. =( I know exactly how you feel...my cat's name was Muddpi.)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(How do you swoon but not really? Make up your mind! And thanks, I'm glad you liked the Alyssa-stands-up-for-her-friends bit. ^_^)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yay for YouTube friend invites!! XD)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Yay, I'm glad that you like this chapter. It is nice to write something peaceful after struggling to write something intense...)_

_And the next chapter will come soon!! Thank you so much, everybody!!_


	33. Chapter 32

Knowing the dangers of ferries, Belle was a little apprehensive about using one—at least, one that she could afford. She sat down in front of the video phone at the PokéCenter, praying that Cassandra hadn't told Gerald anything. Charmy wandered off, unintentionally intimidating nearby Trainers.

Calling Gerald's office phone was usually hit-or-miss; sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. Luckily, today he picked up, beaming at her through the screen. Belle tried her best to muster a smile, but it felt more like a grimace.

"Hey, Papa G," she said, almost through gritted teeth.

"Belle! Do you need money?" He frowned suddenly and concernedly, leaning in towards the phone.

"Actually…yes. I had hoped to kind of work into it…"

"You don't need to worry about that sort of thing." Gerald smiled and waved his hand. "I know it's not particularly normal for a girl to call her friend's father. What do you need it for?"

"Well, I need to get to Cinnabar Island, and there's a ferry leaving from Vermilion City this afternoon that I can't afford." Belle winced slightly. She heard a roar and looked around; Charmy was baring his teeth at a small Vaporeon. "Charmy!" she called. "What are you doing? Get back here! Sorry," she added to the Vaporeon's Trainer, a skinny girl with green pigtails. "Sorry," she said also to Gerald.

"It's no problem. Charmy's your—goodness, he's evolved!" Gerald's mouth dropped open when Charmy stepped into the frame, bending his neck to peer at the screen. "Last time I saw you, big fella, you where a Charmander!"

Charmy closed his eyes in a smile. He placed a claw on Belle's shoulder protectively.

"You know, Cassandra's Fluffy evolved, too," Gerald said, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket.

"Oh…did he?" Belle bit her lip as she watched him count out bills.

"Sure did. He's awfully big. Bet his sire was big or something—things like that are in the genes. You didn't hear?" He looked up, bills in one hand, frowning.

"Um…no. Maybe she just hasn't gotten around to emailing me yet," Belle replied hastily. She attempted a smile for Gerald's benefit.

"That must be it." Gerald was doing something out-of-frame; he was obviously putting the money in the transfer capsule. "Well, this should be more than enough."

"I'll send you the change."

"Nonsense! You'll need it! And who knows when you'll contact me next, eh?" Gerald cracked a grin, which Belle failed at returning. "Be careful!"

And that was how she ended up sitting cross-legged on the deck of a ferry, the only girl in an old sweatshirt and holey jeans among mostly well-groomed, fancy-looking teenagers. She leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes.

She sat there for a few moments before feeling a nudge on her leg; Eevee sat there, looking up at her. Charmy didn't like water, so he was in his Poké Ball—Belle had wanted _someone_ for company, so she had brought out Eevee, ignoring the snide remarks of the rich kids walking by. Looking down at her now reminded Belle of the Vaporeon in the Saffron City PokéCenter.

"You might need to evolve soon," she told her, reaching out to scratch the cute thing between the ears. With a chirp of agreement, Eevee ducked her hand and pawed at her backpack. Belle opened it and brought out three small boxes.

In Celadon City, Belle had bought three Elemental Stones—Water, Fire, and Thunder—so that when the time came, she would ask Eevee which one she wanted to become. Now, she opened all three boxes and turned them towards Eevee. "What'll it be?" she asked. "Vaporeon, Flareon, or Jolteon? Are you _sure_ you don't want to be Umbreon or Espeon or something?"

Eevee narrowed her eyes at Belle before turning towards the gleaming yellow Thunder Stone, poking it gently with her nose; she was enveloped with a familiar white light as the stone began to glow. Her shape shifted; she grew as spikes shot out from her body.

When the light faded, Jolteon stood before her, looking at her with black beady eyes. Belle smiled. "Well hello."

"Are those _Stones_?"

Belle looked up; a girl with her blonde hair fastened back in a bun stood there, a purse dangling from her elbow and a cell phone in one hand. A Roselia stood at her feet.

"Uh—yeah," Belle replied. The girl immediately began digging in her purse.

"Are you going to use them?" she asked. "How much would you be willing to sell them for? I forgot to make a stop at Celadon City Department Store, and I _need_ them! I have a Vulpix and I'm _dying_ to have a Ninetales!"

Belle blinked. She wasn't sure what to say. The girl was attracting attention with all her shouting; a few heads were turning. A boy came running up, a Growlithe at his heels, and a few more girls came as well. Suddenly, Belle's peaceful spot was a barrage of shouting voices as each rich Trainer present tried to buy Belle's Elemental Stones, shouting higher prices over the voices of each other.

She managed a wicked grin. She had been willing to just _give_ this girl the Fire Stone, but that wouldn't be fair, what with so many people wanting it. She would have to hold an auction.

When Belle got off the ferry and stepped onto Cinnabar Island soil, she was almost rich. Jolteon trotted at her heels, and only a few other people got off with her.

The island took Belle's breath away. Although it had a volcano rising in the distance, the grass was lush and green; the small town was quaint. The PokéCenter appeared to have wood sidings, and the PokéMart was made of brick.

Little brick houses dotted the paths snaking around the small town. An old, dilapidated Pokémon Lab could have taken away from the scene, but it seemed rather charming instead. Belle smiled genuinely.

And then she remembered—she was in Derrick's hometown.

Suddenly, the focus was different. Had Derrick ever been to that house? Had Derrick ever looked at the PokéCenter? Had Derrick ever been to the PokéMart? How often had Derrick walked this particular path? Did Derrick ever go to the hot springs advertised by a flyer posted on the PokéCenter door?

Where was Derrick's house?

Belle was determined to find it, now that she had thought about it. She entered the PokéCenter and looked around. Not many people were there; a few people Belle's age sat in the lounge area, sipping coffee and pretending to be cool. She snorted in disdain. Her eye fell on the video phone, and she thought briefly of Swifter, her Pidgeotto—after catching Poliwhirl, she had sent him to Professor Oak's lab.

"Hi, Nurse Joy?" Belle approached the counter, pulling her Poké Balls out of her backpack. "Um…while you heal my Pokémon…I'd like to ask you a question."

"What's that?" Joy took the Poké Balls and placed them in the strange healing device in all PokéCenters. It flashed and made a strange sound almost like music—each device made that very same noise. Belle frowned at it before continuing.

"Well…did you know a boy named Derrick? Derrick Evans?"

"Oh, Derrick," Joy said happily, handing the Poké Balls back to Belle. "I sure did. Such a bright, cheery little boy, despite all that happened to him…"

"Yeah," Belle replied. "Um…do you know where I could find his former house?"

Joy smiled sadly. "Yes. But I'll have to draw you a map—it's not far from the village, but it's difficult to find if you don't live here." She pulled out a slip of paper and a pen and began sketching lines and roads and buildings. "It's actually easier if you start here." She tapped the end of the pen on a path starting behind the newer-looking Pokémon Research Center.

"Thank you," Belle said, and with map in hand, she set off for Derrick's house.

Nurse Joy had been right—there were many twists and turns on this little path, and places where it disappeared altogether. If it hadn't been for Joy's uncanny rendering of landmarks (such as a random collection of boulders shaped like Kingler) Belle would have gotten hopelessly lost. Soon enough, though, she came to the crest of a hill and looked down at a small valley with a cute little two-story house in the middle, made of brick just like the rest of the houses in the village. There was a small front porch with a porch swing. Belle slowly went down the side of the hill, Jolteon hopping at her side. As she got closer, she realized that something was amiss—the bricks were chipped and faded, and the paint on the porch was peeling. The swing looked weak, as if it was going to break, and a shutter was hanging off one of the windows. The paint on the door, like that of the porch, was peeling severely, and the knob was rusted. This house had fallen into disrepair.

Belle looked around. Derrick hadn't said his mother had died. Maybe she didn't live here anymore? Belle made her way around the side of the house, peeking into the tall grass of the backyard. A Rattata scampered away when it saw her. She turned and went back to the front door.

Suddenly, she heard a noise from inside the house—it sounded like a cough. Intrigued and a little scared, Belle went up the sagging porch steps to investigate. She tried to look through the window, but it was dirty and grimy, so she couldn't see anything.

_I'm being rude,_ she thought, and took a step back, a little sadly. It was when she heard the coughing and hacking that she decided she needed to get inside.

Timidly, Belle grabbed the rusted doorknob. It turned, but it felt strange in her hand; she wanted to wash it. She pushed the door open.

She found herself in a room carpeted with dark blue carpet. An off-white sofa sat against one wall, Venemoth-eaten and dingy. There was a fireplace, and an old rocking chair sat by the hearth. A woman sat on it, bent over her knees, coughing terribly. She wore a white lab coat and had frizzy blonde hair that looked as though it hadn't been combed in days.

"Ma'am?" Belle asked, stepping into the house. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

The woman's head snapped up and Belle's knees buckled; she grabbed at the wall for support. The shape of her face, her eyes, her nose—she looked like Derrick. She couldn't be…

The woman stood up. "Who are you? Why are you in my house?" Her voice was strange, almost gravelly—her lab coat had a few stains on it of different colors, and a small laminated badge showed her picture and text too small for Belle to make out at this distance.

"I—I'm sorry," Belle said as the woman took a step toward her. Her eyes—there was something about them, something that didn't seem…right. "I heard you coughing and I thought—"

"Koffing? You heard Koffing?" The woman shook her head. "That can't be right. He evolved, he's a Weezing now."

Belle didn't know what to say. The woman turned away from her, muttering to herself, and headed towards what seemed to be the kitchen. Belle took a timid step forward; Jolteon hissed at her in disbelief but followed anyway.

The kitchen was dirty; a baking powder box was overturned on the floor, several food stains were present on the counter and small table, and the microwave was left open, as well as several cabinet doors. The woman began shutting them now, muttering all the while.

A sound, almost computer-like, from behind her made Belle turn around; a Porygon shot down the stairs, its blocky body hovering over the floor. When it saw Belle it stopped and made a strange digital-sounding noise, its green appendages whirling around.

"I—I'm sorry!" Belle said. "I just—I heard her—"

"Porygon!" The woman turned around and rushed over to the Pokémon, throwing herself down on her knees in front of it and wrapping her arms around its neck. "Porygon, Porygon…have you found her yet? My sweet…have you found her?" She closed her eyes, one hand stroking the Pokémon's cheek. "You'll find them…I'm sure you will…both of them…" She trailed off into a whisper.

Belle edged closer, trying to peer at the woman's nametag. The picture on the badge showed a younger-looking version of this woman, with makeup and styled hair. The name—Dr. Angelina Evans.

This was Derrick's mother.

Belle put a hand to her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. "How could he leave her like this?" Jolteon, confused, looked up at her—she had never met Derrick. She rubbed gently against her Trainer's leg.

Who are you? spoke a voice. Startled, Belle looked around for the source. She couldn't find a person, just the Porygon and Derrick's mother.

"Wh-where are you?" Belle demanded.

I am right here. I am Porygon CI-4. Who are you and why are you here?

"You can _talk_?"

In a fashion. Because I am an inorganic being, I speak through thoughts. I was made at the Pokémon Research Center in Cinnabar Island, the fourth Porygon made here. Porygon CI-4.

"Does she…Angelina…Dr. Evans…know you can talk?"

With a sad look, Porygon glanced down at the woman holding it about the neck and whispering. |Sadly, she lost awareness of many things long ago. I no longer speak to her. She becomes frightened and begins to cry. Even now, only you can hear me.|

"Why doesn't she hear _me_?"

She is preoccupied with other thoughts. Once again, who are you and why are you here?

"I'm sorry…my name is Belle Caldwell, and I…used to be…a friend of Derrick's. I was just coming to see his house when I heard her coughing, and I thought she might be choking or something, so I came in here…" She trailed off, feeling foolish as the Porygon fixed her with a stern gaze.

Ah. An outsider. It would be understandable for you to think that. Porygon CI-4 flipped its appendages—wings?—and Angelina stood up, wringing her hands and looking around. Her gaze fell on Belle.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"I—" Belle wasn't sure what to say.

Say you are Dr. Caldwell from the Research Center.

"I'm Dr. Caldwell from the Research Center," Belle spluttered, heart hammering wildly. Angelina looked her up and down.

"Where is your coat?"

"I got a stain on it. It's being washed," she replied quickly. Angelina seemed to accept this answer.

"I need to go to work now," she said. "You can't stay here." With that, she turned around and headed toward the front door.

She's heading to the Research Center! Porygon CI-4's voice thundered. More Pokémon came rushing down the stairs—A Weezing, an Electrode, a Kabutops (Belle gasped), an Omastar (Belle almost fainted), and a Clefable. She pointed a shaking finger at the Kabutops and Omastar. The Research Center has perfected resurrecting Pokémon from fossils, allowing people to train ancient Pokémon, Porygon CI-4 offered by way of explanation. Angelina looked over her shoulder.

"You can't come with me," she said. "Only Porygon."

Clean up a little, Porygon said. Follow, it told Belle, so she did. They walked back up the path to the Research Center, where Angelina let herself in the back door; Belle followed.

She strode across the lobby as if she owned the place. Porygon and Belle dogged her steps, keeping behind her as she turned down a hallway and headed into a specific door. Two men were inside the room with a giant computer-looking thing. Each had a Porygon2 beside them, which they quickly withdrew into Poké Balls as Angelina entered.

"Hello, Angelina!" one man said cheerily. "How are things today?"

Angelina said nothing. She seemed shocked; she stared around the room for a moment, her eyes widening, before suddenly bursting into tears. "Where are they?" she screeched, falling to her knees. "Where are they? I can't find them, I can't find them!"

The two men dropped their notes and rushed to her, grabbing her elbows and hoisting her up. "CI-4, if you would get Dr. Anderson," one man said. They didn't even take notice of Belle.

Come with me. Hurry. Belle followed after the Porygon; they ran down a long hallway and then burst into someone's office. A woman with shoulder-length brown hair looked up from her desk. When she saw Porygon, she leapt to her feet and grabbed her lab coat off the coat hanger near her desk.

"Where is she?"

With Drs. Weber and Biggs.

"Did she see the Porygon2?" They were out of the office, hurrying back up the hallway.

No. She's asking for Derrick and Koko again.

Belle's step faltered and she stopped. Porygon CI-4 and who she guessed was Dr. Anderson rushed ahead of her, leaving her behind. Jolteon looked up at her, confused, and she sighed and followed at a slow walk. This woman had been driven to insanity by the disappearance of her family, and now she was perpetually searching for them.

Why had Derrick left her?

When Belle arrived at the room with Drs. Weber and Biggs, she found Dr. Anderson calming a blubbering Angelina. Finally, Angelina quieted and, like a child, fell asleep. The two male doctors pulled out a cot and helped Dr. Anderson lay her there, covering her with a faded pink blanket.

"Who are you?" Dr. Anderson asked, fixing Belle with a cool gaze. She then looked over at Porygon CI-4. Belle couldn't hear anything, but she knew the Pokémon was explaining. Finally, Dr. Anderson nodded and stood from her place at Angelina's cot. "Come with me.

"Dr. Evans was my superior many years ago, before the deaths of her daughter Koko and her husband Joseph. Has Derrick told you this?" She glanced down at Belle as they walked toward the older woman's office.

"Yes."

"When these deaths occurred, Dr. Evans became…unstable. It was small at first. Sometimes she would show up late to work, or not show up at all. Sometimes she wouldn't be dressed properly. She started muttering to herself and losing things. Come in my office."

Belle did; she sat down at a chair facing Dr. Anderson's desk as the woman shed her lab coat and hung it up. Porygon CI-4 had stayed behind. "When did it get…like this?"

"Well, when she first showed up late, we thought nothing of it," Dr. Anderson admitted, leaning on her desk. "It was when she didn't come one day that we were worried. Dr. Evans only missed a day of work if she was violently ill, or if there was…a death in the family. Derrick, nine years old at the time, called the Center and said that his mother was sick and she wouldn't be coming in. Then she started getting worse. Derrick would come with her; he never left her side. He gently took care of her, trying his best to answer her every need. I felt sorry for him…he wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer, so it was difficult to watch him dog his mother's every step.

"There was nothing he could do for her to make her better. I told him that. I told him, just before he turned sixteen, that he needed to go on his Pokémon Journey. He didn't want to." Dr. Anderson closed her eyes. "He said it was his responsibility to take care of his mother. But I told him no, it wasn't. 'Derrick,' I said, 'you don't need to stay around here. There's nothing you can do for your mother. We can take just as good a job caring for her as you can. You should go on your Journey. I promise that we will care for her.'" The woman drew in a deep breath. "I bought him a Lapras ride to Pallet Town so that he could get his first Pokémon. I…still don't know what he got…" Dr. Anderson tried to hide the fact that she brushed away a tear, but Belle saw.

"It was a Squirtle."

Dr. Anderson blinked and looked at Belle. "Excuse me?"

"His first Pokémon…it was a Squirtle. He offered to let it help me wash my face."

"Wash your face? Why?"

"I was bleeding."

"What?"

Belle told her the story of how they met, allowing Dr. Anderson a bit of a laugh. At the end, Belle pulled up her bangs to show the diagonal scar skirting the edge of her eye, running her finger down it. "It's…my little reminder." She let her hair flop back down over the scar.

Porygon CI-4 nudged the door open and came inside. She is almost awake. I will take her home.

"No," Dr. Anderson said. "_I_ will. It's time I started taking more responsibility…it's time I fully kept my promise."

Porygon CI-4 nodded slightly before leaving the office. "I'll show you out," Dr. Anderson told Belle, grabbing her lab coat.

On the way to the door, Belle couldn't help asking, "Why can't you show Dr. Evans the Porygon2?"

"She becomes confused and frightened," Dr. Anderson replied. "She is stuck in one timeframe. Since Porygon was the latest version of inorganic beings since Koko's and Joseph's deaths, she reacts very badly to the more streamlined Porygon2."

"Oh. Well, thanks," Belle said.

Dr. Anderson smiled and gently touched Belle's shoulder. "No. Thank you. Somehow, you reminded me that I need to keep my promise. Now, when Derrick comes back to defeat Blaine, I won't be ashamed to look him in the eye." She squeezed Belle's shoulder and left.

Feeling guilty for some reason, Belle left the Research Center.

* * *

**To:**dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject: **Derrick

* * *

Cinnabar Island is Derrick's hometown. There are lots of sad reminders here. I almost wish I hadn't left him like I did.

Cassandra, you don't have to worry about me. I am fine.

Staying at the PokéCenter tonight. Tomorrow I will challenge Blaine.

Love,

Belle

* * *

_Yay, a big thank-you to all my reviewers!!_

_Oh, by the way, the first person to review Chapter 32 will actually be giving this story its **100th review!!! **I don't know of any prize I could give you...tell you what. Whoever I announce to be the giver of the **100th review!!! **can ask me for some type of reward, and I'll see what I can do about it. =/ Doesn't sound very promising, I'm sorry. Anyway, thanks much to:_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Ha, yeah, Joanna's a little...ehh...well, you know. And I think I would've balked at the prospect of a giant Glaceon as well.)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(How is it you seemed to address everything that I'm leading to in Cassandra's storyline?? You are AWESOME. So in answer to your question about Joanna: You'll see ;p. And as for Sakura, yeah, it was a facade. The advantage/disadvantage of Deena's size will be revealed later, also. Teehee!)_

_**EternalPKK **(Ha, I'm glad you liked it!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Ha, don't worry about Sakura and payback. Be patient!)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Teehee. I love characters like Karen---in truth, I based her off Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. XD)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(0.o Sakura is a bit dark, now that I think about it.)_

_Don't forget to give Convergent Paths its **100th review!!!**_


	34. Chapter 33

Alyssa and Ian captured two Doduo to ride into Pueltown. Prinplup, situated uncomfortably between Doduo's necks and Ian's knees, wasn't too happy about the situation, but Ziggy happily snuggled into Alyssa's lap and leaned to the side, letting its small tongue hang out of its dark brown mouth as the wind whipped by. Alyssa was a bit worried he would fall; she kept pushing him more towards the center.

Once the two arrived in the bustling city of Pueltown, they dismounted their Doduo and released them. "According to Erma," Ian said, kneeling down to brush off a disgruntled Prinplup, "this Happy Hair factory should be somewhere around the harbor."

"It won't be too hard to find, then." Alyssa scooped Ziggy up and let him hang off her shoulder as usual. "How do you do that?" she remarked to her Pokémon briefly, and he only replied by licking the side of her face and making her giggle. "It probably won't take long; we'll take some quests on the way back. But we're supposed to check in at the Ranger Base first."

Ian and Alyssa made their way through Pueltown, politely turning down quests as they made their way toward the Ranger Base near the center of town. Ian's face darkened as they got there. Pueltown had to have a lot of Rangers stationed there thanks to its size and population, so the building was large, towering up over everyone's heads. It was excellently built with smooth white brick, and it was round, as all Ranger Bases were. It had large windows placed around it separated by tall blue columns. The bit of tree on top overflowed so that people looking up were treated to the sight of fluffy green leaves ringing the roof of the base. It was situated right in front of a large overpass-like structure, on which there was a brick road branching from the east side to the west side of town. A green hedge ran around the perimeter of the building's grounds with an interruption in front of the door to allow people to enter the base. Alyssa, on her trips to Pueltown, had seen this building before, but she had never been inside.

"Do we have to do this?" Ian asked, pausing as Alyssa headed for the door. She stopped and turned around.

"Do what?"

"Do we really _have_ to check in?"

"Yes, we do," Alyssa replied. "Erma said we needed to, and it's a good idea to let the Rangers of this area know that we're here."

Sighing, Ian reluctantly followed her inside.

There were Rangers _everywhere_. The building was filled with them. They stood in a line waiting for the Operator on duty to recharge their Stylers, they sat on couches drinking coffee and talking, they stood in circles discussing, they came in and out of the door in the back leading to the dorm-like rooms, they went up and down stairs, they played with their Pokémon. Alyssa was overwhelmed. Ian came up beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Let's find the captain." The people who ran the Ranger Bases were called captains—Barlow, for instance, was the captain of the Vientown Ranger Base.

Ian led her to the busy Operator, bypassing the line. Several Rangers went to protest, but stopped themselves as they noticed Ian and Alyssa's Stylers.

"How may I help—oh," the Operator said, looking at their Stylers. "The captain is waiting for you upstairs. Second door to the right."

"Thanks very much," Ian said.

"Do you need those recharged?"

"No," Alyssa piped up. "Thank you, though." She threw out a Ranger salute by placing her fist over her heart and then pulling her upper arm up rigidly, hand open. Ian followed suit; then they wove through the crowd, hearing people fall silent as they moved through them.

Upstairs was a bit quieter; it was a hallway, so there were several doors leading to several rooms the Rangers could possibly be in. They chose the second door on the right and knocked. The door opened to a woman standing there. Her Ranger uniform was modified—instead of the black-and-white skintight suit that girls were required to wear, she had a knee-length white dress with a bit of frill on the skirt. Her feet were in fashionable yet sensible white shoes, not tennis shoes. While most Rangers were required to wear red short-sleeved jackets, she wore a long-sleeved one with a body that ended right below her breasts—that, at least, was standard. Her hair was long and dark green. It shifted around her shoulders as she stepped to the side, revealing someone in the office behind her.

"Greg," Ian said darkly. Greg stood. Like Ian, he seemed to have hit his growth spurt late—unlike Ian, he was not attractive. He still wore ugly glasses, his ears were still big, and he still had that expression of disdain or anger that he had worn at school. Most boys looked dashing in Ranger uniforms, but it seemed ill-fitting on him—his torso was too thin, his legs were too short.

"I was just leaving," Greg said, eyeing their Stylers. "It's nice to see you again, Ian. And Alyssa."

Alyssa looked over at him. It was strange to hear him speak to her; throughout her years in Ranger School, he had never done so. "Hello, Greg."

He paused for a moment before replying simply, "Hello." Then he pushed past Ian out of the room, a Grovyle following behind him. He paused once he was outside and turned. "If we may, Captain, I'd like to continue this conversation at a later time."

The woman nodded. "Very well, Walton." He turned and disappeared around a corner. "Come in, you two. I'm sure you're in quite a hurry."

Alyssa and Ian stepped into the office; it was furnished simply with a desk, computer, and bookcases, and the colors were blended together very nicely, all greens and blues. The woman walked over to her desk, gesturing towards the two chairs facing it. She stopped at her desk and turned to them.

"I am Elmina Woodrow, Captain of the Pueltown Ranger Base." She held out her hand for them to shake.

"Alyssa Thompson, rookie Top Ranger."

"Ian Walton, also rookie Top Ranger."

Elmina cocked her eyebrow as a Leafeon leapt gently onto her desk; Alyssa wasn't sure where it had come from. They all sat down. "Walton? You must be Gregory's older brother. Not much resemblance, I must say…"

"You have no idea how much it pleases me that you say that."

Elmina laughed gently; the sound was like leaves blowing in the wind. "Are you familiar with Gregory as well?" she asked, turning to Alyssa.

"We were in the same class in Ranger School," Alyssa replied.

"Ah, yes, Alyssa Thompson, did you say? Well—weren't you the valedictorian?"

"Um, yes…"

Elmina nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Excellent. Since you both have some experience with Rookie Walton, I feel comfortable in telling you this…he has been in here day after day, pushing for a promotion to Top Ranger. I believe he has some sort of inferiority complex…his older brother _and_ his school rival are now Top Rangers, while he _wastes_ his time here, in the largest Ranger Base in Almia." Elmina spread her hands. "He is not satisfied. While I do admire ambition, I believe his is a bit misguided…he seems to be under the impression that _money_ is the key ingredient to happiness. But enough—I am sure you two are in a hurry."

"Wait," Ian said, leaning forward. "Do you have any intention of promoting him?"

Elmina's fine eyebrow arched again. "No. Do you wish to recommend him for promotion?"

"No. I don't think he should be a Ranger at all."

"Well, the way he's behaving, he won't be for very long. He seems to think quests are beneath him; he mistreats the people who ask him for things and even tries to charge them. He's on probation right now, with no incoming quests or missions."

Alyssa gritted her teeth. Sure, Greg might have been a Krabby in school, but she had never figured him for _this_ type of person.

"Well, I assume you only came here to check in, correct? You actually do not have to answer to me at all…I thank you for informing me of your whereabouts in my…_territory_, so to speak. Good luck on your mission."

"Why was no one from the Pueltown Ranger Base dispatched to do this mission?" Alyssa asked as they all stood.

Elmina laughed. "Dear, the Pueltown Rangers are ones for serving the people of Pueltown. When it comes to worldwide plots…well, that's what the Top Rangers are for."

* * *

"We'll just tell them it's a routine inspection," Ian said as they walked up to the Happy Hair factory. It was a low, squat building, barely noticeable among the jumble of things by the harbor, positioned right on the water.

"Have they ever gotten one before?"

"I'm sure they have—from the Pueltown Rangers." They walked up to the low building. A truck was pulled up to the side, so they headed for it; a dark-haired man in coveralls was about to open the back, but he paused in his work and looked over at the two approaching Rangers.

"Hi there," Ian called. The man waved back. They came to stand in front of him; there was a large, open door in the side of the building. Alyssa glanced inside. It appeared to be a warehouse full of crates—probably hair dye for shipping out. "We're just here for a routine inspection. Do you know where the supervisor is?"

The man put his hands on his hips. "No, but he should be coming out soon…he usually comes out to see the dye shipped out personally. There he is." He pointed to a blonde man in a suit walking from the other side of the warehouse, talking quickly with an earpiece attached to his ear. His voice echoed through the warehouse until he came to the door.

"I don't care about that. The Machoke are very experienced, they know what they're doing. I will have to let you go. Can I help you?" he asked, reaching up to press a button on his earpiece. He straightened his tie, but Alyssa caught his eye movement towards their Stylers.

"We're here for a routine inspection," Ian said.

"Oh?" The man smiled, but the gesture didn't reach his eyes. "This month's inspection has already passed. Another one isn't scheduled until next month."

"We're under orders from HQ. We can't disobey."

"I'm sorry. I have the right to refuse anyone from my establishment without appointment. Please leave the premises, or I will have my guards escort you off. Oh, what now?" he said crossly as his phone began ringing. He pressed the button on his earpiece, turning away. "Hello? No, I said _don't worry about it_! They always use—what do you _expect_ them to do? Use their fingernails?" He strode away, back through the warehouse, and the large man in coveralls pulled a remote out of his pocket. At the touch of a button, the large metal door began to close, cutting off Alyssa and Ian's view of the warehouse.

"Leave," he grunted.

So they did. Alyssa brushed her bangs out of her eyes, biting her lip as they walked away. "What do we do now?" Ian asked. "He _does_ have the right to refuse anyone entry…"

"We sneak in, of course," Alyssa replied as though the answer was obvious. "We sneak in, observe what's going on, see if anything's wrong, take some pictures. And from the way he reacted, I think something _is_ wrong."

"You're just paranoid," Ian told her.

"No…I'm sure he's hiding something. Did you see the way he looked at our Stylers? Or the way he smiled? If he had nothing to hide, why would he turn us away? And anyway, this is our mission. We have to count it as _failed_ if we don't get in there."

As it turned out, Alyssa was very persuasive; ten minutes later, they were slipping in the factory via a small side door, red jackets stowed in a safe place outside—because "Red is an eye-drawing color," Alyssa said, stuffing her jacket into a trash can.

The building was small, so it must not have required many workers. The white-tiled hallway they entered was empty, but Alyssa flattened herself against the gray wall anyway. Ziggy sniffed the floor and inched ahead; Prinplup lingered behind, checking their rear. Ian pressed himself beside Alyssa. "I'm not sure if—"

"Cameras," Alyssa whispered. "There." She pointed. "And there." She pointed again. "Any way we can temporarily disable them?"

"Well, Prinplup knows Water Gun," Ian offered.

Alyssa shook her head. "We need something more subtle. Water gun might turn it, and we just need to short it out…does he know Bubble?"

"Yeah."

"Get him to do that, please."

"Hey, Prinplup." The Pokémon performed the desired move; the bubble emitting from his beak enveloped the camera before popping, effectively disabling it. He did the same for the other camera.

"Thanks much, Prinny," Alyssa whispered. Ian was too distracted to protest. She pushed her bangs back from her eyes and got away from the wall, striding confidently down the hallway.

"_Alyssa_! What are you—come back!" Ian followed, hurrying after her. When he caught up, he grabbed her arm. "What are you thinking?"

Ziggy's ears perked up and it darted a look at Alyssa. "Someone's coming," Alyssa said, taking in the movement. "Quick—find a place to hide."

"Where? There are _no doors_. We can only go out the way we came in."

"Um…" Alyssa glanced around. The hum of machines permeated the air, making it hard to concentrate. Her eyes found a small alcove that interrupted the wall. She hurried toward it, pulling Ian with her. There was a large double-door, and then two small doors on the sides of the alcove. She grabbed the knob of one of the smaller doors and let herself in.

This, apparently, was the main factory. The noise of machines rose to a din as soon as they entered; they were in a small space directly before they entered the main room. Thankfully, there were barrels and crates against the walls, so Alyssa ducked behind some barrels before someone in the room saw her. People and Pokémon—mostly Machoke and Zangoose—bustled by, both carrying large loads that she hadn't quite seen.

"Nothing seems to be going on," Ian said.

"We need to explore further into the main factory," Alyssa told him.

"How? There are people everywhere!"

"Just be sneaky." Alyssa crawled out from behind her cluster of barrels and moved toward a stack of crates. Ian followed. They were now at a vantage point to where they could see the whole of the factory if they poked their heads above the crates, which Ian did. He gasped, and Alyssa went to come up beside him—

"No." Ian's hand quickly went over her eyes and he forced her back down. "Don't look."

"This isn't the time for games, Ian," Alyssa said crossly, forcing his hand away from her face and shooting him an angry glare.

"Please don't look," he replied, grabbing her wrist as she went to peek above the crates. "Please, _please_ don't look. There are Team Galactic overseers, so they are in league with Team Galactic. That's all we need to know. You don't have to look. I'll take the pictures," he added, pulling the Ranger camera Erma had assigned them out of his pocket.

"I came all this way," she snapped, stretching for it, but he pulled it out of her reach. "And do you think I can't handle it? After all we've been through together—namely, the _cave_?" She shook her arm out of his grasp, and he speechlessly watched her look over the crates.

She almost vomited.

The loads the people and Pokémon had been carrying were large piles of different Water Pokémon—Horsea, Goldeen, Seaking, Finneon, even a few Marill. They carried them over to a pile of the same kind on a long counter that ran around the perimeter of the room. Beside these piles were Machoke or Zangoose, the former with knives. They would take the Water Pokémon and skin them.

Alyssa clapped a hand over her mouth as a Machoke grabbed hold of a Horsea and slung it down on the counter. It jabbed the knife into the skin on its side and pushed, peeling up a long piece of blue skin all the way to its neck. The Horsea closed its eyes and began screaming, or so Alyssa assumed; the noise of the machines was too loud for her to hear. An annoyed look crossed over the Machoke's face, and he suddenly used the knife to chop cleanly through the Horsea's neck. Its head rolled onto the floor.

After skinning the Water Pokémon, the Machoke or Zangoose would grab the skin and throw it into a funnel. In the middle of the room were several large vats of different-colored bubbling liquids; the funnels were inserted in tubes connected to these vats. Alyssa looked at them, horrified. Now that she looked closer, she could see a bit of order; Pokémon's skins were sorted by color and thrown into the funnel that corresponded with the vat. Seaking skins ended up in the funnel connected to the vat of red. Goldeen skins were cut up, and the orange parts were dropped into the funnel for orange while the white parts were dropped into the funnel for white. Alyssa looked back to the Horsea station, which was nearest her. Her eyes followed the tube to the large vat of…_Galactic Blue_. Her stomach turned unpleasantly and she pushed a hand over her mouth, trying her hardest not to throw up.

Suddenly, Ian's hand was on her shoulder, his arm draped around her back. He pointed up to a catwalk running the length of the room, where several Team Galactic members paced, looking down at the progress below them. A few Staraptor and Honchkrow walked with them. _Fighting is weak against Flying,_ she thought. _If a Machoke gets out of hand…but what about the Zangoose?_ She searched until she found a Machamp, its bottom pair of arms crossed and its top pair sticking straight up.

She looked back over to the Machoke eagerly skinning Horsea. As its knife brought up another peel of blue skin, Alyssa got a glimpse of the bright red muscle pulsing beneath. She could see the Horsea's heart. There it was, clear as day, pumping blood to a rapidly dying body; and then the Machoke tossed the skin into the funnel and continued its job, flipping the Horsea over.

"Come on." Ian's low voice was right in her ear. "I think we've got enough. Let's get out of here."

It wasn't difficult getting out of the building; Alyssa thought numbly how she hadn't even noticed Ian taking pictures. They pulled their jackets from the trash can as they skirted the edge of the Happy Hair Brand Hair Dye Factory, disappearing into the shadow of the nondescript building next to it.

After checking in briefly with Elmina, they captured two more Doduo. "Y'know," Alyssa said softly, placing a hand on the Pokémon's back, "back in Chicole Village, we have a farm."

Ian looked over at her, frowning down from his Doduo.

"My mom has an Ambipom in the house that helps clean. It has a lot of hands, y'know…" She stared numbly at the brown feathers beneath her fingers. "My dad…he has a Machamp that helps him in the fields…it just recently evolved from Machoke." She then turned and vomited into the bushes.

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** blank

* * *

I can't tell you very much about my mission. It's actually going to be like that a lot. Just know that it was a success, but I saw some things.

I'm not sure about Belle's last email, but I'm a bit too shaken up to think about that right now.

Isis, while a goddess of fertility, was also married to Osiris, the god of the underworld. It sounds like Konohana is using steroids. That would explain the Glaceon's size. Also, steroids have negative side effects; they deplete the pigment in a Pokémon's skin and coat.

Love,

Alyssa

* * *

_Okay, and now I will anounce the person who gave this story its **100th review!!!!! **It is: **EmblemDuelist**!!! Yaaay!!! I don't have a prize for you, but you are awesome and you receive doubleplus thanks!!_

_And now to thank everybody who reviewed:_

_**EmblemDuelist **(You gave me the **100th review!!!** Thank you thank you thank you!! XD And as for Belle and Derrick reuniting, you'll just have to wait and see. XP)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Teehee, you'll see. ^_^)_

_**Wild Croconaw **(Ha, thanks! XD) _

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Does your lack of comment mean that you didn't like the chapter, or that you have no criticism? ^_^ Thanks for the compliment on Derrick's mother's character. She was hard to write, I'll admit.)_

_**mo12341234** (Too lazy to log in again, hmm? XD Belle + cheering up = secret!! You'll have to find out!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Don't be hatin' my **100 reviews!!!** And thanks for your review and support ^_^)_

_**thejasonresno **(Because you're only on Chapter 17 or 18, you probably won't read this for a while, but I want you to know that your review really brightened my day. ^_^ Thank you!!)_

_And, because it was a team effort to give me **100 reviews!!!**, I will now list everyone who has reviewed my story thus far!! Thank you all for all your reviews, compliments, constructive criticism, and (most of all!!!) support! A lot of these people have been with me from the beginning, some have stopped reviewing, and some came in mid-story, but I am thankful for all of you!!_

**_silentlysnowing_**

**_Caigus of the White Lions_**

**_Bronze Barometer_**

**_Aldraia Dragonsong_**

**_TheAverageFan_**

_**Magnificent Castle Windrider **(visitor's review)_

**_Augustine May_**

**_MadHairGirl_**

**_Ralyena Starrling_**

**_EternalPKK_**

**_pixette_**

**_Mo12341234_**

**_mgunh1_**

**_Yereton_**

**_MiddleNameDanger_**

**_Kai-Chan94_**

_**SaveTheCrayons! **(visitor's review)_

**_EmblemDuelist_**

**_Queen Rambler_**

_**RabidCatKing **(visitor's review)_

**_Shichimon_**

**_WildCroconaw_**

**_thejasonresno_**

_Thanks to all you guys, and also, thanks to everyone who's reading but not reviewing!! I'll keep working hard. ;)_


	35. Chapter 34

Cassandra watched out her window as Sakura Konohana, now dressed in a kimono, smiled placidly at the innkeeper and bowed to her. A limo sat on the road behind her, and a man was scooping up her bags to put them inside. As Cassandra watched, Sakura shook the innkeeper's hand, bowed once more, and got inside the limo. The innkeeper turned away, but Cassandra saw the girl's face just before the door shut; she was frowning, and she already had a cigarette in her hand.

Would all contests be like this? Would she constantly lose to less talented people because they were willing to give judges money? Cassandra closed her eyes, thinking over things. Giving steroids to Pokémon, bribing judges, people setting bombs in caves, friends slowly dropping out of touch…the last one almost brought tears to her eyes. While Belle had hinted at a possibly painful split between her and Derrick, she hadn't come out with the full story. Was she okay? What she had said in her email made it seem like she was at fault.

Cassandra turned away from the window and looked at Karen's bed. The girl was stretched out on it, kicking her feet and coloring, her long pink hair spread out around her. Tuffly lay across from her, frowning in concentration as it attempted to hold a crayon. "You're doing good, Tuffly," Karen remarked, pointing at the page. "Look, you stayed inside the lines there and everything."

_"Wiggly!"_ Tuffly seemed proud of itself.

Cassandra stood; Fluffy shifted from his place at her feet, lifting his head and watching her. He seemed to never want to be in his Poké Ball now that he had seen her get attacked by Isis. Now he wanted to keep an eye on her at all times.

"Hey Karen," Cassandra said, crossing the room and picking up her jacket. Fluffy stood at once.

"Hm?"

"I'm going out to train with Ellia. I'll be back before dark."

"It's wintertime," Karen reminded her. "It'll be dark sooner, so don't get carried away." She picked up a crayon and lightly shaded something. Tuffly made a sound rather like a laugh. Karen laughed in reply. "You're right!" she remarked.

Cassandra froze on her way to the door and turned around, Fluffy cocking his head quizzically up at her. "What did you say?"

"Oh, I was just telling Tuffly that he was right."

Cassandra didn't know what to say. After a long silence, she finally asked slowly, "And what did he say?"

"Oh, he just said that the Ponyta you caught probably won't take kindly to being captured."

Cassandra was so shocked she could have thrown up the entire contents of her stomach. "You can understand Tuffly?"

Karen nodded, poking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. "I can understand all Pokémon."

The doorknob would have shattered under Cassandra's hand if she hadn't almost collapsed. Fluffy barked. "And when were you planning on telling me _this_?"

Karen shrugged nonchalantly. "It's not a big deal. Tuffly, would you stop hogging all the purple?"

"Karen, _focus_! This _is_ a big deal!"

Sighing, Karen put down her crayon and looked up, folding her hands in front of her. "Okay."

Cassandra straightened and drew in a deep breath as she zipped up her faux fur-lined jacket. "When did it happen?"

"When did what happen?"

Fluffy wagged his tail as he sensed his Trainer's growing frustration. "_When did you figure out you could understand Pokémon?_"

"When I was little, of course," Karen replied. "When else would I figure it out?" She swept a strand of pink hair behind her ears.

"How?"

"I don't know. They've just always made sense to me. My parents thought it was amazing."

Fluffy barked; Karen nodded. "But you should get training. Ponyta are used to running free, so it might take Ellia a long time go come around." With that, she turned back to her coloring book, clearly dismissing Cassandra.

"Don't eat before I get back," Cassandra said as she opened the door. "We'll talk about this more at supper."

Thankfully, no ash was falling today. Cassandra didn't want to go to her favorite little training patch for fear Ponyta would disappear into the trees, so she chose a nice, wide-open space with plenty of room to aim the red beam from her Poké Ball.

Fluffy wagged his tail as he walked beside her but remained vigilant as he scanned the area. When she stopped, he stopped also, and started to trot around the perimeter of the space.

Cassandra pulled out everyone's Poké Balls and tossed them one by one into the air—Ellia, of course, was the last. As soon as the fiery Pokémon's hooves hit the ground she was running. "Return!" Cassandra yelled, and the red beam pulled Ellia back into the Ball. "Let's try that again." But Ellia took off once more, forcing Cassandra to return her to the Poké Ball. This happened several times before Ellia grudgingly stopped running and stood angrily before Cassandra, tossing her head and pawing at the ground. "You are my Pokémon now and your name is Ellia," Cassandra told her. "You will be entered in at least one Contest, so I'd like to start training you now."

Ellia glared fiercely back at Cassandra. She didn't appear to want to do anything. "How about a spar?" Cassandra finally suggested. "Swablu, could you please?"

"_Blu_!" Swablu chirped as it rose into the air. Ellia kept her eyes on Cassandra as she slowly turned around to face the Pokémon, not breaking her glare until she could no longer help it.

"Okay, Swablu, I'll just tell Ellia what to do and you can do your thing." Pulling out the little-used Pokédex she acquired upon choosing Finny, Cassandra scrolled through Ponyta's moves. "Hm…okay. Ready, Swablu?" She pocketed the Pokédex again. Swablu chirped, bobbing up and down in the air. "Cool. Okay, Ellia—use Flame Wheel!"

Instead, the Ponyta reared up on its hind legs and turned, lashing its hooves out dangerously near Cassandra's head. In a flash, Fluffy was between them, snarling and snapping; Ellia squealed in displeasure and danced backwards as she shook her head. Cassandra's hand tightened into a fist. "You'll do as I say! Spar with Swablu!"

Ellia seemed extremely indignant to this sort of treatment; she reared up again and opened her mouth, allowing flames to shoot out. Finny came to the rescue; he quickly used Mud-Slap to smother the flames before they reached Fluffy or Cassandra. Angrily, Cassandra pulled out Ellia's Poké Ball and returned her. "We're done for today," she snapped, and she turned and went back to the hotel, not even bothering to return her other Pokémon.

With a quick shared glance between them, Fluffy, Finny, and Swablu started off after her.

* * *

"Finny says Ellia won't listen to you," Karen said as Cassandra stepped out of the bathroom. Finny shrugged apologetically from his place on Cassandra's bed as his master threw him a sharp glance.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mm-hm. Says she tried to attack you."

Cassandra narrowed her eyes at Finny, who dropped his gaze to the coverlet. "Yeah, well, she won't listen, and she _did_ try to attack me. He say anything else?"

"No, but Swablu told me she's worried about you. She wants you to release Ellia."

"Well, I'm not," Cassandra snapped. "I'm going to train her if it's the last thing I do." The Ponyta had made this a battle of wills, and Cassandra was used to those—Joanna presented them daily, almost.

Swablu chirruped worriedly. She was perched on Cassandra's bedpost, a fluffy ornament.

"She says she thinks you're being too stubborn," Karen piped up. She was _still_ coloring.

"I'm not, Swablu. I'm just being determined."

Another chirrup. "Why do you insist on fighting to your own destruction?"

Cassandra clamped her mouth shut. She returned Finny and Swablu to their Poké Balls before glancing down at Fluffy. "Did you say anything to her?"

Fluffy made a noise in his throat and shook his head. Cassandra didn't even need Karen to translate for her; she crossed into the den and started up the computer, allowing the Mightyena to trot along after her. She was going to train Ellia, no matter what anyone said.

* * *

**To: **thompson_alyssa

**From: **dancing_through_life

**Subject: **Don't you go doing this too.

* * *

Alyssa!

Your last email wasn't very descriptive. Please don't pull a Belle on me. Don't leave me all alone with TWO best friends to worry about. I'm so worried…what happened?

The Ponyta I caught won't listen to me, but I'm determined to train her. Swablu thinks I should release her. You know how I know that? KAREN CAN TALK TO POKÉMON. When she was planning on telling me this, I have no idea. But there it is; she can talk to Pokémon.

I'm going to send an email to Belle's mother, because I'm way too worried about her to just let her fester. She seems like she's starting to open up (that doesn't mean it's okay for you to withdraw!!!!), but she needs something to jolt her out of it.

Lots of love and worry,

Cassandra

* * *

**To:** megatcaldwell

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** Your daughter

* * *

Mrs. Caldwell,

As you know, I'm Cassandra Étoile, one of your daughter's best friends. She's been a bit withdrawn lately, and I'm incredibly worried about her. Has she been communicating with you at all? I know that right now she's at Cinnabar Island about to challenge the Gym Leader, and I also know that she stopped traveling with Derrick. Do you think that there's anything I, Alyssa, or you can do to put her back into her senses?

Thanks very much,

Cassandra

P.S. How's Derek doing?

* * *

_Okay, another chapter done! Sorry for the long wiat. ^_^ Now to thank all my excellent reviewers, whom I love very much!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(I hate vomiting too. And there's always such a long process...And thanks for the congratulations!! XD)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yeah, she's having a pretty rough time of it. Haha, you are lazy. ^_^ Me too! But I have to log in to post chapters, so it's a necessity. *sigh*)_

_**Yereton **(Dying painful deaths, duly noted. Maybe I can slip it in somewhere. XD)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(Aww...what a mushy review. It made me smile and brightened up my day...while reviewing the brutal Pokemon-skinning. XD)_

_**Shichimon **(Hey! Hands off the Ian! XD And sorry about your nightmares...oops!)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Ha, it was a bit disturbing...when I read it over as I was posting it I was thinking, "Maybe I should revise this a little..." But it did seem to have a pretty big impact.)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(They definitely should be busted! I wonder if they will? Teehee, like I don't know.)_

_**thejasonresno **(Yay for catching up! I think I'm going to like your reviews...that is, if you continue to review regularly--only if you want to! And yes, I have played Pokemon Ranger, and it is SO worth looking into! Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia is defnitely a better game than its prequel, but they are still both excellent. You should definitely play it; it's awesome!!)_

_Thank you to everyone, and see you next chapter! _


	36. Chapter 35

The Cinnabar Island Gym was easy to find; Belle didn't have to go very far. She had a Poliwhirl, a Water-type, and a Dugtrio, a Ground-type, so she wasn't too worried about the battle, either.

So why was she trembling?

Yeah, it was hot inside this steaming volcano. (Was it _legal_ to turn a volcano into a gym? How was she even alive?) But that didn't explain the chills chasing each other up and down her spine, or the cold sweat trickling gently down her forehead. She kept pressing her fingertips against the scar on her head, feeling the raised skin and thinking of Derrick…and his mother. She even thought of Sabrina a little—how, though she had been collapsed on the floor earlier, she seemed calm and collected as she handed Belle the Marsh Badge.

"And—Belle Caldwell," Sabrina had said, putting a hand gently on her shoulder before she could turn to go. "I knew your father as well. The way he died…well, you would not expect one of his caliber to go so easily." Her eyes had locked onto Belle's, boring into them. "It doesn't seem…true, almost. But I suppose we must accept things?"

"Did my dad date you, too?" Belle asked. "He seems to have a thing for women with black hair."

"No. He did try to…court me, as it were. But back then, I…well, let's just say that I had issues on top of my issues. It took a black-haired Trainer with a Pokémon League hat, a Pikachu, and a Haunter to jolt me into my senses, and that wasn't until much later…Alakazam was just an Abra then…" She shook her head. "But at any rate…yes, your father did have a certain inclination toward raven-haired women. He was, indeed, a powerful Trainer. You are much like him. You carry the same stubborn streak."

"It seems like all the Gym Leaders know of my father," Belle said, brushing her hair back from her eyes. The corners of Sabrina's lips turned up in a small smile.

"Surely you do not think that you are the _only_ Trainer to battle us?"

And now Belle looked at the old man across the rocky volcano floor; it was Blaine, the Cinnabar Island Gym Leader. He wore a long-sleeved red shirt and tan pants, and his bald head gleamed above his round black sunglasses. His white mustache twitched as he tossed aside his wooden cane, surveying Belle and sizing her up. "Hello, Challenger. How do you do?"

"Um…" She wasn't sure how to respond. _Man_, what was up with this heat? "I'm kinda hot," she replied.

"Oh, sorry about that," he replied; he clapped his hands lightly and a wave of cool air washed over the cavern, making Belle lean her head back and breathe in deeply. "When you get old, your blood thins and you get colder. I forget to turn on the AC."

AC in a volcano? Belle almost laughed. She looked around the cavern, noticing how the lava bubbled on the sides. "So, where's the referee?"

"Well, there's a Porygon who does it—CI-7, where are you?"

A Porygon2 flew out of an opening. It seemed obviously more aerodynamic than Porygon CI-4; it was sleeker. It came down to hover where a referee would usually stay. Oh!it said, seeing Belle. You are the human CI-4 was talking about! The friend to Derrick!

"Yes," she replied.

"Oh, that's you?" Blaine asked. "How is Derrick? What was his first Pokémon—was it a Fire-type?"

"No, it was a Squirtle," Belle replied.

"Did he nickname it?"

"No…he says he's not good at nicknames." She fidgeted. Everyone in this town asked questions about Derrick, and no one questioned why he wasn't with her. She was grateful for the latter, but uncomfortable with the former. "Should we…um…get started?"

"Ah, right, right. CI-7, if you would…"

This will be a three-on-three Pokémon match. Switching out is only permitted between battles for both parties. Are you ready, Blaine?

"Indeed I am!"

How about you, friend to Derrick?

Belle gritted her teeth. "Yes. The name's Belle, by the way."

Duly noted. Begin!

"Magcargo, let's go!"

Belle froze for a moment, looking at the fire-snail thing that appeared before her, oozing lava from beneath a giant rocky shell. It looked gross and dangerous at the same time. "What—_why_?"

"Why what?"

"Why _that_ thing? It's—weird."

"Weird? My dear, we live in a world where giant creatures casually fall asleep in roads and entire criminal organizations are taken down by one brave, seemingly mute child. Yet _this_ is weird?"

"Ah. Right. Go, Poliwhirl!"

_"Poli!"_ The Pokémon landed surely on its feet, balling its hands into fists.

"Ah, a Water-type. As if I've never seen _that_ before. Magcargo, Earthquake!"

"Poliwhirl, use Surf!"

The ground began quaking, but Poliwhirl quickly let a huge gush of water smack into Magcargo, making it tumble over, leaving pools of lava in its place.

"Withdraw!" Blaine barked, and Magcargo sucked itself back into its shell with a _shloop_ing sound. Poliwhirl's water blew Magcargo into the lava bordering the battlefield; it sunk beneath the surface, and Poliwhirl's stream abruptly stopped.

Belle froze. Had Poliwhirl just _killed_ that thing? She glanced over at Blaine, who was smiling.

"Magcargo! Come on out!"

The Pokémon rolled out of the lava back onto the field. Even bigger pools trailed it as it burst from its shell, seemingly unfazed by the little dip. It slithered—was it really _slithering_?—back onto the field, and a giant stretch of bubbling lava marked its trail.

_This is dumb,_ Belle thought. _It's a Fire-type, Poliwhirl's a Water-type. I should be able to finish this with one move…this next one._ "Hydro Pump!"

Large blasts of water smacked into Magcargo in quick succession; the water broke over its face, smashing it repeatedly until it tumbled over backwards and sucked itself back into its shell.

"Fill that shell with water!"

Poliwhirl didn't stop his attack until water overflowed from the opening in the shell; it slowly evaporated, dissipating from the heat Magcargo let off. And then, the Pokémon's body emerged from the shell—but it was fainted.

Magcargo is unable to battle!

Belle expected Blaine to look angry or disturbed, like most Gym Leaders did after she fainted one of their Pokémon, but instead, he seemed calm and collected. "Rapidash," he called, tossing his next Poké Ball out onto the field.

A large, beautiful, fiery unicorn burst onto the field, rearing up as its mane and tail shifted and licked at its fur. It tossed its head, and suddenly Belle could see Cassandra sitting sidesaddle atop it, a determined look on her face and long, honey hair shifting in the wind.

Belle blinked, dislodging the image from her brain and trying to get back to the battle. _This'll be easy,_ she thought. "Poliwhirl, Hydro Pump!"

"Agility!"

Poliwhirl fired off a torpedo of water, but Rapidash was suddenly gone. Poliwhirl spun crazily, trying to find it, but it only appeared in flashes around the battlefield, and none of Poliwhirl's attack hit the Pokémon.

"Poliwhirl, focus on the lava splashing up from the puddles!" Belle cried; because, when Rapidash appeared suddenly, it was usually running through a puddle.

Poliwhirl spun and managed to hit a lucky shot across the puddle Rapidash was trying to cross, knocking it in the shoulder and making it whinny loudly. The unicorn Pokémon reared, whirled, and was off again.

_Dammit,_ Belle thought.

"Mega Horn!" Blaine yelled.

Suddenly, without warning, Rapidash appeared in front of Poliwhirl and pressed its horn straight into the Pokémon's belly; once its attack was done, it rocketed off, not even pausing to survey the damage. Poliwhirl flew backwards and landed directly in a pool of lava.

"Poliwhirl!" Belle screeched shrilly, taking a step forward in her little box. "Get up, get up, get up, are you okay?"

_"Poli,"_ the Pokémon replied, getting to its feet. It sprayed some water into the air and then shifted to let it fall on its back, which had a giant, ugly burn.

"Why isn't the lava affecting Rapidash?" Belle cried, her voice straining. _And why didn't I see that puddle?_

"Because Rapidash has an ability called Flash Fire," Blaine replied. "If Rapidash is touched by fire, it gets stronger—_and_ its Fire-type moves get stronger."

Belle's eyes widened as Blaine's face split into a wicked grin. Of course. Magcargo hadn't been important—it was the first Pokémon so that puddles of lava would be around for Rapidash to run through and power up. How many puddles had Rapidash splashed through? Too many, in Belle's opinion. That thing needed to be taken out _now _before it unleashed a Fire-type move; even though Poliwhirl was a Water-type, a Fire-type move of the sort of caliber she knew Rapidash was going to create would most likely hurt Poliwhirl beyond this battle and into life.

"Ready, Rapidash?" Blaine cried. "Fire Blast!"

The Rapidash skidded to a halt across the field from Poliwhirl and braced itself, opening its mouth. Poliwhirl froze, and Belle tried to think. Maybe if this was a normal Fire Blast, she would have some hope of dousing it with a Water-type move; but Rapidash had been using its whole time to splash through puddles and collect enough power for something she was sure was life-changing. Her only hope was a dodge.

As the giant, almost person-shaped mass of fire erupted from Rapidash, Belle stepped forward in her box. Waves of heat rolled from the attack, making everything seem hazy. The very air rippled. CI-7 shrunk back against the wall, and Belle gritted her teeth.

"Dodge it, Poliwhirl! _Please_!"

Just as the huge mound of fire came shooting towards Poliwhirl, the Water Pokémon leapt to the side, rolling out of its way. The flames blasted right past, stopping just at the lava bordering the battlefield and disappearing.

"Surf!"

Poliwhirl unleashed a barrage of water, which pounded right into Rapidash, trapping it. The water surrounded the Pokémon, slowly dousing its flames as it kicked and whinnied and screamed; Poliwhirl pressed harder, letting water force itself into the Pokémon's mouth and nose. When Rapidash stopped moving, Belle called for her Pokémon to stop, and he did; Rapidash dropped to the cave floor abruptly.

Rapidash is unable to battle, CI-7 spoke.

Belle grinned as she surveyed the floor. Poliwhirl's rush of water had cooled the lava pools, which were now hardened into rock. They wouldn't be hurting her Pokémon again. Her eyes drifted to the burn on its back. "Do you feel okay for one more battle?" she called.

Poliwhirl hesitated before answering in the affirmative. Belle nodded and looked over at Blaine, who was already pulling his next Poké Ball off his belt.

"I usually like to have the Water Pokémon fainted by now," Blaine said conversationally, "but you are a very good Trainer. Magmar! Let's go!"

The Magmar stepped onto the field, making a low growling sound as it adjusted its feet. "It's a good thing I have a plan B," Blaine said. "Magmar! Thunderpunch!"

"Dodge it!" Belle cried shrilly, and Poliwhirl turned to run away; but Magmar's fist, charged electrically, caught Poliwhirl straight in the back. It flew forward several feet and landed, face-first, on a large rock that had once been a lava puddle.

Poliwhirl is unable to battle, CI-7 piped up.

Belle felt horrible. She should have known that Poliwhirl wasn't going to be strong enough to continue the battle, _and_ that Blaine would have a backup plan. She returned Poliwhirl to his Ball. "You did so well," she whispered. "Thank you." She traded that Ball for another and threw it. "Dugtrio! I choose you!"

Three heads popped up out of the ground, looking fiercely at Magmar. _"Trio, trio, trio!"_ they cried.

"Ah, few Trainers think to use Ground-types," Blaine said, stroking his chin. "Well, Dugtrio doesn't have very good stamina, so…Magmar! Let's try a Flamethrower!"

"Oh, no you don't," Belle said. "Dugtrio, underground! Use Earthquake!"

All three of Dugtrio's heads disappeared underground just as a huge line of flames shot over them. Belle was sick of this battle—she wanted it over with, and a powerful Ground-type attack was just the thing. She watched as the ground shook and split, and giant chunks of newly-cooled lava broke loose and smacked Magmar in the head. It was like a Rock Throw and Earthquake attack all in one.

After being beaten with countless chunks of rocks and shaken into oblivion, Magmar tumbled over sideways. It had hardly had a chance to attack, and Belle was glad she hadn't let it hurt Dugtrio.

Magmar is unable to battle, CI-7 said, hovering gently over its little outcropping of rock. Belle wins! You get the Volcano Badge!

Belle returned Dugtrio happily as Blaine pulled in Magmar. "You're a very good strategist," he said, walking across the battlefield. "I admire your skill."

"Thanks," Belle replied. "Before you say anything else—did you know my father, Daniel Caldwell?"

"Ah, he's your father? Amazing kid! No wonder you're so good!" With a grin, Blaine pulled a Volcano Badge from his pocket. "How is he?"

"Dead," Belle replied simply. Blaine's face fell.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sure it's hard having to deal with all these Gym Leaders telling you how great your father was, and then you have to tell them…"

"Yeah."

"Before you go," Blaine said slyly, dropping the badge into Belle's palm, "I want to tell you a riddle."

"A riddle?" Belle blinked up at him, confused. "Why?"

"I tell all my challengers a riddle, win or lose."

"Do I have to answer to get out?"

"No. You don't even have to tell me if you got it or not, ever. Ready? Here goes! Life is simply meaningless without me. Oh, you cannot see me! Very blind am I, but yet I capture people securely. Everyone chases me, though some think they do not need me. What am I?"

Belle stared at him blankly. "Um…I don't know."

He smiled back at her and patted her shoulder gently. "You will. Trust me. That was a nice battle, Belle. Thank you."

* * *

**To:** dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** To next town.

* * *

I'm going to Viridian City next. I won my Volcano Badge. Blaine gave me a riddle:

"Life is simply meaningless without me. Oh, you cannot see me! Very blind am I, but yet I capture people securely. Everyone chases me, though some think they do not need me."

I have no clue what it means…do you guys?

Love,

Belle

* * *

_**I am very sorry for the long wait!!!**_

_Spring Break was last week, and it kept me from updating because I had Internet at home. And then my professors decided that, upon returning from Spring Break, you need lots of homework. And then my dad went to the emergency room---he's okay, he just had his appendix removed. Apparently his appendicitis was really bad. But that took up a lot of time! And so here we are, continuing Belle's journey, and weekly updates will resume!!_

_And now to thank all my reviewers!!!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(^_^ Things will get better!)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Weird comments ftw! XD)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(Lol, hippie-children are very strange indeed.)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Adorable Fluffy is adorable. XD)_

_Thanks to everyone, and I hope you didn't leave me in frustration!! XD_


	37. Chapter 36

Alyssa opened her eyes at the soft knock on her door. "Who is it?" she asked.

"Ian," he replied. "Can I come in?"

She laid there for a few moments, considering. "No," she decided finally, and turned over on her side. Ziggy, who had been pressed against her side, shifted and made a disgruntled noise.

"I'm coming in anyway."

Alyssa didn't move as she heard the door to her apartment open and Ian stroll through the front room. She didn't even twitch as he opened the door to her bedroom and let himself inside. "Alyssa, get up."

"No."

"We need to report to Chairperson Erma. She was nice enough to be satisfied that we knew it was tied to Team Galactic for a day; we need to go give our _full_ report now."

"Can't you do it?"

Ian was silent for a moment. She hadn't heard Prinplup come in with him; was he waiting outside? Ziggy shifted, his dark brown fur moving in front of her face.

Suddenly, she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder and wrench her to lay on her back. She came face-to-face with the angriest Ian she had ever seen. "The world doesn't just stop when you see something you don't like," he snapped, his livid face a few inches from hers. "You're a Ranger now. You're going to see tough things. You're just going to have to deal with it. Crime and evil don't stop just because you hide in your room, and you can do something about it, or you can quit your job and hide away. But right now, as a Ranger, you can change things. And you have a duty to your superior officer—and to me, your partner. You would really push all the burden on me like that? I was sympathetic with you yesterday. What we saw was tough. I won't say that I didn't have nightmares—if I did, I would be a liar. And it's okay to be sad, even horrified. But Alyssa, be sad on your _own_ damn time, because we have a job to do." He released her shoulder and turned away from the bed; she stared up at the ceiling, eyes wide and mouth open.

"I'll be waiting for you in the hallway," Ian said, and slammed her bedroom door shut. She heard his swift footsteps cross the front room before he slammed her front door as well. It only took a few more seconds of shock; and then Alyssa was up, pulling on her uniform and fastening her Styler to her wrist.

Outside, in the hallway, a chastised Alyssa slipped out of her front door and stood before Ian, eyes cast down at her shoes. Her hair was unwashed, so she had thrown it up in her usual sloppy ponytail and hoped for the best. She hadn't attempted to brush Ziggy's fur. His head looked ragged poking over her shoulder. Her usually pristine jacket was wrinkled, and the black thigh-high tights she wore were uneven; though she looked a mess, she had tried.

Ian didn't wait for her to say anything. He just started off down the hall at a brisk stride, letting her drift along behind, fidgeting with the wrist-strap of her Fine Styler (the kind used by Top Rangers) and keeping her eyes down. The tiled floor passed by her vision, and she glanced up to see different Top Rangers moving around and trailed by Partner Pokémon. Many of them had stylized versions of the uniform. Alyssa briefly wondered when you were allowed to change your uniform—Ian already had. It was a subtle change—the usual short-sleeved jacket was long-sleeved for him—but it was there.

Ian glanced over his shoulder and caught her looking at him, and she quickly snapped her gaze back down to the floor. She saw Prinplup looking at her, and he seemed to feel sorry for her. They descended a flight of stairs (in the Ranger Union HQ, "elevators" were but a dream) and rounded a corner to arrive at the briefing room.

"I don't expect to do all the talking," Ian said, his voice cold. He stood in front of her, not turning his head or anything to look back at her. "I'll handle the files on the computer, but I don't expect to tell the whole thing myself. Understood?"

"Yes," she said faintly.

"What?" he demanded.

"Yes," she repeated, a little louder.

"Get a grip on yourself. Don't let Erma see that this is bothering you. She'll wonder if your promotion was a mistake." With that, he pushed open the door, holding it open for her briefly.

They stepped into the briefing room, and the familiar darkness of a room that was essentially a giant computer enveloped them. Erma was already there, surveying screenshots from some old movie with people dancing. When they walked in, she spoke the command to send the shots into her folder.

"Well, I'm very eager to hear your entire report," she said as Alyssa let the door fall shut behind her.

"We're very eager to tell you," Ian replied. "The images we have are…quite graphic."

Erma sighed. "Oh dear. Well, I've certainly seen some things in my day, so I'm well prepared."

And so the report started. At first, Alyssa eyed the walls warily, but Ian withheld the pictures and let her explain the first part of their mission. She actually enjoyed explaining every detail of their exploits to Erma, and soon she was guiding the entire storyline along.

Soon, though, she said the sentence, "And that door led to the factory." With that, she glanced at Ian, who nodded.

"Computer, open folder Walton, Ian."

The image of a folder appeared on the screen; it opened, revealing smaller folders. "Open Factory Pictures."

And there they were, just as horrible in digital form as they were in real life. She glanced away, her eyes landing on Erma's face.

Erma looked distraught. Her eyes were open wide, and the nearest picture cast a white ethereal glow on her features. Right now, she looked as though she had lived for centuries; her grip tightened on the Sandslash cane, and she heaved a deep sigh. "My goodness," she said softly. "And those are pictures of the rafters?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ian replied. "As you can see, several Team Galactic members are patrolling."

"Why here?" she said wearily, and she seemed to sag. "I thought some young Trainer had broken them up in Sinnoh a few years ago. Why here? Why now?"

"I suppose that's for the Rangers to figure out," Alyssa replied. She walked over to Erma's side and laid a hand on her shoulder. "We'll figure it out, Erma. We will."

There was a pause as Erma looked over at her, their eyes locking. The old woman's eyes, at least, were still young—probably unchanged from when she was seventeen years old. They were brown, flecked with black and gold, and a fire so tangible burned in them that Alyssa thought she could feel its heat. The eyes narrowed and then pulled away from Alyssa's. "Well, we'll have to dispatch a team of Rangers to put a stop to their operations. First, though, we'll need more information."

Alyssa glanced at Ian. He finally looked at her, and his face showed understanding—he knew that she might not be able to take that place again.

"Don't worry, dear, it won't be you two. No, we'll have to send in some Rangers specially trained in espionage…I might have to call Everett in from Fiore."

"Everett?" Alyssa mumbled. The name clicked in her mind. Everett was the name of Casey's father…and last she had heard, he was in Fiore. "Everett Rayman?"

"You know him?"

"I roomed with his daughter in Ranger School," Alyssa replied. She thought back to the last time she had seen Casey—her father had miraculously made it to graduation, and she had been standing in front of him, beaming and looking the happiest Alyssa had seen her in years. And then she realized that it sounded incredibly childish of her to say something like that.

"Ah. Yes, I believe she's stationed in Pueltown."

Alyssa nodded. She hadn't seen her at the base, but Operators work in shifts.

"Computer, transfer pictures to Erma's folder." Erma sighed as the pictures zoomed away. "You two—"—her glance lingered on Alyssa—"probably need some rest. Take today and tomorrow off; I don't care where you go as long as it's not out of Almia."

"We will. Thank you," Ian said.

"Thank you," Alyssa echoed.

"Dismissed."

They turned and left; once outside the door, Ian looked at her. "Grab a change of clothes. I'll capture us a Staraptor and we'll fly somewhere."

"Where?"

"You'll see. Meet you out front in twenty minutes."

* * *

As it turned out, it was Chicole Village in which Ian landed the Staraptor. The sun was just beginning to set; he cut quite a dashing figure, sitting atop a Staraptor, wind blowing gently in his hair, a fiery haze around his outline.

"Is there any way I could stay for dinner? We'll go where I wanted when it gets dark," Ian added.

Alyssa nodded; Ian quietly asked the Staraptor to stay for a while as she went inside.

"Honey, it's good to see you home!" Diana came rushing toward her, grabbing her up in a hug. "Oh, and Ziggy!" she added, scooping the Zigzagoon up and hugging it. "Who's that man outside?"

"Um—Ian. He's my…friend. Can he stay for dinner? He's taking me somewhere after it gets dark."

"Um…" Diana bit her lip.

Just then, Warren Thompson, Alyssa's father, came around the corner. His short-trimmed hair was much darker than Alyssa's or Diana's, and he had the muscles of a man who worked in the fields. He wore dirty overalls and a stained T-shirt. Dirt smudged his face. "Mm. Little daisy."

"Dad!"

_"Champ?"_

Alyssa's stomach lurched and she paused in her way across the kitchen. Four-armed, muscular, green, with a large, smiling mouth, Machamp came around the corner. He, too, was smudged with dirt. His face lit up when he saw Alyssa, and he threw all four of his arms open for a hug.

Ian stepped into the doorway and hovered uncertainly, keeping his eyes on Alyssa. She looked up at the big Pokémon and felt…_happy_. It was nice to see a good, wholesome Machamp. She rushed forward and threw her arms around its waist; he folded all four of his own arms onto her gingerly, careful not to squeeze too hard.

Warren glanced at Alyssa, then at Ian, who was smiling slightly as he watched this display. "Little daisy's changed," he muttered to Diana, coming around the corner to kiss her cheek.

"No she hasn't," Diana replied. "She's still our little Alyssa. Honey, of course your friend can stay—I'll throw in some more food—"

Warren looked over at Ian, who was still watching Alyssa. He grunted slightly. "Goin' upstairs to wash up."

Dinner was a long affair. Diana did most of the talking; Alyssa shoveled in home-cooked food gratefully, and Ian tried to politely answer Diana's rapid-fire questions before she could set off another.

At one point, as Alyssa was reaching for her glass of tea, she looked up at Warren, her father. He was looking at her, that stoic expression he usually wore covering his face. He was a quiet man, and he had been ever since she could remember; even before her brother—Alyssa didn't want to think about her brother. But somehow, she could tell that her brother had just crossed Warren's mind as well; their eyes met, and Warren allowed a small smile to pull at his lips, and she knew they were both remembering him.

Finally, at dinner's end, Alyssa stood with her plate. "Let me get that," she said to Ian, scooping his empty plate up.

"It's okay, I'll—"

"You're a guest," Alyssa told him simply, and she walked away to get Warren's dishes as well.

"I'm not a guest," Warren said in his deep voice.

"I missed you," Alyssa replied. She kissed him on the side of the head.

"I'll get the dishes," Diana said, taking Alyssa's stack of plates. "You two go do whatever it was you were going to do. Warren, come help!"

Warren grunted as he scooted his chair back from the table, and Ian turned to Alyssa. "Do you wanna change clothes?"

She glanced down at herself in her uniform, then shook her head. "Nah." They stepped out into the night air. "It sure is getting dark earlier."

"How long of a walk is it to Vientown?"

"Um, about twenty minutes."

"That's not so bad. Come with me."

Ziggy, once it realized that Vientown was not their final stop, leapt up onto Alyssa's shoulder to ride the rest of the way. Prinplup waddled along behind them.

Ian refused to answer Alyssa's questions about where they were going, but it soon became apparent that they were headed towards the Ranger School. She frowned as they came to the six-foot wall and even taller gate. "We can't go in there. The gate's locked."

"Yeah, I know." Ian pulled her past the gate to a place where the wall made a ninety-degree angle; Alyssa knew that this was where Ascension Square was. And then it clicked in her head—that one night when she had snuck out in her nightgown, and Ian had found her sitting with her feet dangling over the edge of the small cliff. He led her to another corner. Vines had grown over this particular spot in the wall. "See, trees hang over this part of the wall, so it's hard to see someone moving here."

"Um…" Alyssa glanced up at the vine-covered wall.

"Ladies first."

"No thanks," Alyssa replied. "You go first."

"You have to promise you'll come up after me."

She nodded as he grabbed hold of the vines and clambered up skillfully. Once on the top of the wall, he crouched there and smiled down at her. "Hand up Prinplup, will ya? Zigoon can probably make it on his own."

"His name is _Ziggy_," Alyssa murmured, grabbing Prinplup and hoisting him up. She grunted as Ian took him gently from her arms.

"I used to have to carry him," Ian said. The Pokémon looked as though he were trying to grab onto Ian's shoulders with his flippers. "Yeah, yeah, buddy, I know."

_"Plup."_

"Yeah."

Soon, Alyssa was up after him, and then they descended the other side even quicker. Ian glanced around before leading her to the water and sitting. It was a lot colder than it had been that night, so Alyssa tugged her jacket around her and looked up at the stars. She suddenly wished she, too, had Ian's long-sleeved jacket.

"I can see how this would help you," Alyssa murmured. The stars winked down at her, and the waves washed gently against the side of the cliff. Everything was so big and open; it felt like her thoughts could go anywhere. But everything was familiar, also, making her calm and almost happy. Memories of playing near the large Pledge Stone came flooding back. And, of course, there had been Outdoor Day—a day when class had been held outside, and a Ranger had come to teach them. She remembered the excitement she had felt upon seeing that man—she didn't even remember who it was—with his red jacket and partner Ursaring.

"I'm sorry I talked to you so roughly," Ian said softly, sitting down close beside her.

"I deserved it," she replied. "You're right. I chose to be a Ranger because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to help people and Pokémon. Of course, it's harder than I imagined, but it still makes me feel good to know that soon, because of information I helped to get, that factory will be shut down." She looked down at her legs, still in black thigh-highs. "I shouldn't forget that I'm a Ranger."

"And a damn good one, at that." She looked up to see Ian smiling at her, and she returned it easily. "This is my way of coping," he added. "Or, _was_. When things got too scary, I would come here. It helps to remember the beginning. Oh, are you cold?"

Alyssa had wrapped her arms around herself and was shivering. A chill was seeping through her bodysuit from the ground, and a breeze was blowing. "Yeah."

"Let me help."

Alyssa thought back to that night, when Ian had removed his jacket and given it to her. She expected the same would happen now—but it didn't. Instead, he leaned toward her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against his chest. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and stared, wide-eyed, at his neck. Warmth flooded through her, but she suspected that a lot of it came from inside.

"Better?" His voice was soft, right in her ear.

"Yes." She tentatively put a hand on his chest, and he placed his own over top of it. She felt him lay his head on hers. "A-are you comfortable?"

"Very." He pulled her a bit closer; the hand he had over hers he removed and put the now-free arm around her waist.

Comfortable, Alyssa closed her eyes. She felt his heart beating under her hand, as well as his chest rising and falling with the breath blowing gently on her hair. _I love you,_ she thought easily.

Her eyes flew open. What? What had she just thought? _I love you,_ the thought spoke again, and she pondered it for a moment. A huge barrage of Butterfree and Beautifly swarmed inside her stomach, and her heart pounded and fluttered at the same time. These feelings, as well as the added warmth from inside every time she thought the words, made her realize…it was true. She loved him. She loved him with every fiber of her being, every muscle inside her body. She loved each and every part of him; his hair, his face, his eyes, his laugh, his hands, his warmth. "I love you," she whispered, ever so softly, against his neck.

"What?" Ian asked absently.

"Nothing," she replied, but a huge smile broke out on her face as she closed her eyes again. He didn't have to know just yet. In fact, nobody did. It just felt good to say it, whether he heard her or not.

Alyssa loved Ian.

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_

**Subject:** Happy day!

* * *

Don't worry about me going all Belle on you!

The thing that happened to me…it just seems like it's something I need to talk to you about in person. Don't worry about it for right now; I'll have plenty of stories to tell you later.

I had a good day today. Erma gave me and Ian today and tomorrow off, so we'll be hanging out and stuff. I'm spending the night at home right now. It's really nice to see Mom and Dad, and even Machamp and Ambipom.

KAREN CAN TALK TO POKÉMON??? OMGWTFBBQ??? That is…really cool, actually. I'd LOVE to be able to do that. Actually, I think Professor Hastings (he's the guy who invented the Styler) is working on a device that translates Pokémon's cries into speech, but it's gonna take a while. He's always being distracted by perfecting the Styler.

That's a really good idea, sending an email to Miss Terra. Tell me what she says!!! Anyway, I'm really tired, so I'm gonna go to bed.

Love you much,

Alyssa

* * *

_Okay!! Sorry about the long wait...-_-' Finals are getting closer, and this seems to be grounds for lots of tests, major projects, and homework---according to the professors, anyway. Also, a band concert is coming up, so the band director has decided that we must utilize all five days of the school week for practice. I'm so exhausted...I can't wait for summer._

_And by the way, I am not telling anyone the answer to the riddle! ...even though a few of you may or may not have it right. *cough cough*_

_And now to thank the reviewers!!!_

_**mo12341234 **(Lazy again, I see. XD Not telling you about the riiiiiddllleeee!)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(What about the father-quote thing doesn't sit right?)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Emotions are coming, don't worry! And XP about the irony! You don't know that that's the answer to the riddle...*shifty eyes*)_

_**Emblem Duelist **(Hmm...I guess it should have been, but...*tries to hide writing weaknesses*)_

_**Shichimon **(Not telling you the answer to the riddle! Lol, we must disagree on Mugcargo, but then again the image of a snail oozing lava has always frightened me. XD)_

_Thanks to everybody!!!_


	38. Chapter 37

Cassandra had just about had it with Ellia. She had tried everything to get that Ponyta to listen to her, even looking up ways to train Ponyta on the Internet. She didn't want to give up, even though that seemed like what it was all her Pokémon wanted, Ellia included. The Ponyta had learned, grudgingly, that fleeing was useless, but she was doing everything she possibly could to resist Cassandra's training, even at personal risk.

After a long bout of useless training, Cassandra came back into the room and got out her laptop. "Hi, Karen," she said in a dull monotone. The pink-haired girl was lying on her bed and coloring as usual.

"Hi," Karen replied.

_"Wig!"_

"Tuffly says hi."

"Hi, Tuffly," Cassandra grumbled, opening up her e-mail and sifting through. Suddenly, she became delighted as she saw that Terra had emailed her back. "Yes!" she cried happily, clicking it.

* * *

Cassandra,

I sure am glad Belle has friends like you and Alyssa to worry about her. I had noticed a lag in her emails, but I thought it might just be something to do with the fact that I'm her mother, and therefore am far less interesting to talk to. I didn't know that she was no longer traveling with Derrick, so I'm afraid I don't know the reason for that. Thank you for bringing me your concern; I know exactly how to remedy this situation.

Oh, and thank you for asking about Derek. He's doing just fine. He's already thinking about what Pokémon he wants when he gets older, and I'm thrilled to say he might want one that is the same type as his mother's first Pokémon. Of course, he also might want to go a different way and get a Charmander like his big sister. Either way, I'll be happy for him.

Anyway, thank you very much for your email, and try not to worry too much anymore—Momma T is on her way to fix everything!

Love,

Belle's mom (I know that's what you call me ;)

* * *

Cassandra felt a huge weight lift off her chest. Terra was going to fix it. Good. She closed out her Internet and turned off her laptop, no longer needing to get her mind off anything; she felt perfectly fine now. As she stuffed the laptop into her bag, she glanced over at Karen and Tuffly coloring together.

"Hey, Karen," Cassandra said, stretching out on her own bed. "I have to ask you something I'm really curious about."

"Hm?"

"Does Tuffly have a Poké Ball?"

Karen glanced up at her. "You haven't asked a lot about me," she remarked, putting her crayon down.

"Um…no, I guess I haven't."

"You haven't asked me about my parents or anything."

"Well, you haven't asked me about mine, either."

"Your dad's Gerald Étoile, an executive for Devon Corp. He's big and jolly. Your mother, his wife, is Joanna Étoile, and she seems evil."

"Well, you only got that from meeting them on the telephone and putting a name with a face."

Karen shrugged. "True. I guess we're both inconsiderate. Tell me about your family." She sat up, crossed her legs, placed her hands on her ankles, sat up straight, and looked straight at Cassandra across the gap between the beds, her head cocked slightly to the side.

"Um…you sure you want me to go first?"

"Yes."

"Okay…well, we're pretty rich, I guess." Cassandra launched into a description of their family—mean Joanna, fun Gerald, and even Dorothia, the cook. When she was finished, Karen nodded simply.

"Okay. Well, I'll tell you about mine now." She adjusted her shoulders. "My mom's name is Chryssi—it's short for Chrysanthemum."

"Chrysanthemum?"

"It's a type of flower."

"I know—"

"Her parents were botanists. Dad's name is Enja. It's short for Benjamin."

"Why didn't his parents just call him Ben?"

"They did. He hated that name. Enja sounds a lot cooler."

Cassandra nodded and decided not to ask any more questions.

Karen's family was actually very interesting; they lived in a small house in a sparsely populated area of Rustboro City, and every day Chryssi and Enja pushed their cart out beside the PokéMart and attempted to sell herb and root supplements as replacements for Potions. They had perfected the art of making them taste sweet instead of bitter, and people and Pokémon both could use them. Because they didn't have a lot of money, they all made their own clothes—Karen, apparently, was the one with the best fashion sense, and could sew much better than her parents. "I have a little trouble with sleeves," she added, offering out her arms as proof; the sleeves of her shirt hung down almost past her fingers. "But that's the style now, so it's okay.

"You asked if Tuffly had a Poké Ball," Karen continued, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes."

"We don't believe in Poké Balls."

"You don't?"

"No. We believe that if a Pokémon wants to be your friend, they'll follow you and be with you of their own will. We don't capture Pokémon—we befriend them…kind of like Rangers, but without the use of any technology."

A strange sensation started in Cassandra's gut. It felt a little like…guilt. "So…has everyone ever tried to capture Tuffly with their Poké Ball?"

"Once or twice, but either I or Mom blocked it."

"You should try capturing Tuffly in a Poké Ball and then not making him stay in it. That way, if somebody tried to capture him, the Ball would just bounce off."

"But then I'd only be able to have six Pokémon with me," Karen replied. "My way, as many Pokémon as I want can follow me around, and I don't have to send them to the Pokémon Lab."

Cassandra nodded. "I think I'm going to start keeping everyone out of their Poké Balls."

"Even Ellia?" Karen asked, grabbing her coloring book and stretching out on the bed again. "You know what I think your problem is with her?"

Usually, when it came to Ellia, Cassandra didn't want to talk. She was too determined—no, _stubborn_—to listen to Karen's advice. This time, however, she had Karen's Poké Ball story circling in her head. "What?"

"You don't respect her."

* * *

Cassandra walked out to her training ground under an umbrella with Swablu perched on her shoulder and Finny and Fluffy walking on either side. In her hand, she clutched Ellia's Poké Ball.

When they came to the place, she let Ellia out of her Ball. "Wait before you try to kick me or anything, please," Cassandra said. She stepped forward and slipped the bridle off Ellia's head; she had put it there after taking advice from an Internet site. Surprised, the Ponyta tossed her head and looked down at Cassandra warily. "Yeah, you have every right to look like that." With a sigh, Cassandra shifted. "Look. I've been going about this all wrong. I haven't been treating you with the respect you deserve, and for that, I'm sorry. I'm willing," she added, looking up at Ellia, "to be a lot—and I mean a _lot_—nicer to you if you're willing to stay with me. If you want to go free, I'll release you. Do you want me to do that—release you? Knock your hoof on the ground once for yes, twice for no."

Ellia didn't do anything for a very long time. She simply stood there, eyeing Cassandra, her mane and tail shifting and seeming to eat every piece of ash that fell on them. Finally, after a while, she lowered her head and bumped it directly into Cassandra's chest, very gently. Her fiery mane didn't burn Cassandra; it didn't even feel hot. Vaguely, she recalled seeing something on the Internet that said Ponyta and Rapidash don't burn people they trust. Ellia nickered softly and thumped her hoof against the ground once.

Cassandra sighed and placed a hand on the Ponyta's neck. "Okay. I'll miss you, but if it's—"

The hoof thumped again.

"W-was that a no?"

Ellia nickered, and even without Karen Cassandra could tell it was the answer she wanted. She laughed happily as her Ponyta stepped back and tossed her head. "Thank you! I'm sorry, and I'll make it up to you—first by letting you run around as much as you want. Go on! Gallop! Oh, wait though—do you like the name Ellia?"

The Ponyta had been on her way to gallop circles around the little training ground, but she paused and looked back over her shoulder at Cassandra. After a brief moment, she knocked her hoof once before shooting off to run laps.

"Well, Swablu," Cassandra said, glancing sideways at the Pokémon sitting on her shoulder. "I'd like to have you be an Altaria before the next contest. You up for that?"

_"Blu!"_ Swablu took flight and spiraled up into the sky.

"Okay, sparring session, Finny and Swablu! Come back when you're ready, Ellia!" Cassandra called, and her two Pokémon took the field as Fluffy sat by her feet, tall and proud, a guard Pokémon. "Fluffy," she added as an afterthought. "You've never showed much interest in Contests…did you want to try one?"

The Mightyena cocked its head, looking up at her. He patted his paw against the ground twice before turning his attention back to the upcoming spar.

"He's more interested in battles, he says," Karen's voice said, drifting out from somewhere behind Cassandra. She turned around; Karen was walking under her pink umbrella, Tuffly waddling along behind. "I was bored of coloring," she added by way of explanation. "How are things going with Ellia?"

"Good…I gave her the option to leave, but she didn't want to. Fluffy, contests are battles, too."

Fluffy made a series of barks and growls; Karen came up beside Cassandra. Their umbrellas bumped. "But it's all frilly stuff. I'm not interested in points and glamour."

"Do you want to battle Gym Leaders?"

"No. You saved my life. Now I'll spend it protecting yours."

"Did he really say that?" Cassandra asked, looking up at Karen. The girl nodded matter-of-factly.

"I only say what they say…Pokémon usually get mad when I translate wrong, anyway."

Cassandra smiled. "Would you mind sticking around and helping me train up for my next contest? Something tells me I could really use your help."

Karen frowned and bit her lip, crossing her arms. "That would seriously cut into my coloring time."

"Please?"

"Well, we all make sacrifices, I guess."

* * *

**To:** thompson_alyssa

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** Life!

* * *

Hey!

Did you get Belle's last email? She didn't even tell us how the battle went. She doesn't seem very excited about Viridian City being her last Gym Badge, either. =( I'm really worried about her, but luckily Terra emailed me back!!! I'll forward you the message.

Ooh, so you and Ian are hanging out, huh? Is anything going to happen? Hmmmm? XD I'm so excited for you!! And I'm also really glad that you're not gonna pull a Belle.

Yeah, one day you'll have to meet Karen. She's…something else. She gave me some good advice about training Ellia, which I actually TOOK, and now she listens to me. I'm thinking about entering her in the Slateport Contest when I get there…I want to put Finny in the Fallarbor Contest again to prove that he can win and he's not totally useless.

Well, gotta get to bed early! I'm waking up early tomorrow and training…the next contest date is rushing up!

Love much,

Cassandra

* * *

**To:** dingdongbelle

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** You.

* * *

How did your battle go?

Are you excited about getting your next (and LAST) Gym Badge?

Have you caught any more Pokémon?

Has anyone evolved?

TALK TO ME.

* * *

_Only two reviews this time? =( But they're from two of my favorites! =D_

_Not a lot going on in this chapter...=/_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Yay, thanks for your Alyssa-support! XD)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Fluffy endings are fun. They make me warm and fuzzy!)_


	39. Chapter 38

Flying was _amazing_.

The wind brushed Belle's now almost shoulder-length hair back from her face and stung her cheeks as Charmy's wings rose and fell on either side of her. Water glinted beneath her as they raced above it; she saw Water Pokémon leaping from the sea. For the first time in what felt like ages, Belle allowed herself to laugh.

Soon, Pallet Town was coming into view, and it was underneath them, Oak's Pokémon Lab flowing away. Little Pokémon dotted the pastures, and Belle leaned over the side and squinted to see if she could make out Professor Oak or Tracy, or even Swifter, though she thought it less likely. She felt as though a lifetime had passed since she had walked into the lab as a Pokémon-less girl.

She had been a lot happier then.

Sadly, Belle turned her eyes away from the lab and watched as Route 1 passed beneath her. Soon, they were in Viridian City. Charmy touched down lightly in front of the PokéCenter. The glass doors slid open and she walked in, Charmy following behind her.

It was so familiar. A few beginning Trainers sat around the tables and on the plastic seats, talking and holding their only Poké Ball. Most of the Pokémon she saw were Squirtles, Bulbasaurs, and Charmanders, but a few people had Pidgeys, and one even had a Rattata. Everyone looked up in wonder as Belle passed by, her Charizard walking behind her. A girl with dark brown hair was sitting on the couch that Belle remembered sleeping on, a Charmander in her lap.

Nurse Joy looked up as she handed two Poké Balls back to a boy. A smile split her face immediately. "Belle! Oh, Belle, look at you! You look so…grown up!" She hurried out from behind the counter, wiping her hands on her apron. "It's so nice when Trainers come back. And look at your Charmy…how's Swifter?"

"Well, I sent Swifter to Professor Oak's lab, so…"

"Oh. Well, I see why—you already have a Charizard, so the need for a flying Pokémon…"

Belle smiled. "I actually want to hurry up and get my final gym battle over with. Do you know anything about the gym leader?"

"Well, it's a Ground-type gym," Joy said as she went back behind the counter. Belle stepped forward and handed over her Poké Balls, returning Charmy to his. "They just hired a new leader about a week ago, actually…I don't know much about him. Or her," she added. "All I know is that he—she—it—won a Pokémon League Tournament in some other region. Was it Johto? Or Sinnoh?" Joy frowned as she pressed the button on the machine. "Maybe it was Kanto..it ended in _o_. At any rate, as soon as the Board of Directors got wind that they wanted to be the leader, they hurried to get them the job."

"Hm…I should be fine, though," Belle said thoughtfully. "It's a Ground-type gym, right? I have a Poliwhirl and a Bellossum."

"Oh, you do? Tell me your team! I'm so excited that you're back…I love when the people I meet as young beginning Trainers come back as seasoned travelers!"

Belle nodded. What would an hour or so hurt?

* * *

The Viridian City Gym had a floor similar to Pewter City's, but instead of the bold brown of rocks, it was a dull, dark brown, nothing more than carefully packed dirt. It appeared to be deserted—Belle looked around, wishing she had let Charmy out of his Ball to accompany her inside. "Hello?" she said, and her voice echoed back to her.

"Well, well…look who we have here."

Belle's heart stopped as she turned and looked across the gym, seeing a person standing in the Gym Leader's raised box. They leaned forward, long, black ringlets swinging from their shoulders, and a smile lit up their plump red lips. Dark eyes framed by long eyelashes gazed down at Belle in a way with which she was very familiar. Soft hands with long fingers grasped the railing of the box, and feet in pantyhose but not in shoes tapped gently on the floor.

"M-mom?"

Terra Caldwell smiled brightly from her place. "You recognize me! I'm surprised…you seem to not know who I am anymore. I never get any emails from you."

"Well, I just…" Belle wasn't sure what to think. Was this a joke? What was her mother doing here? She couldn't be the Gym Leader…but now that Belle thought about it, Terra _had_ won the Johto Pokémon League Tournament twice, and she thought she remembered Terra saying something about wanting to become a Gym Leader one day.

"Step into the box, Challenger," Terra said, gesturing to the challenger's box. "I am Terra, the Viridian City Gym Leader. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten together an all-Ground team, so you'll have to make do with the one I have now. Referee?"

The box for this gym was taller than the one for Sabrina's, or even Erika's. Belle numbly climbed the ladder, feeling as though she was in a dream. This couldn't be real. She would have to earn the Earth Badge from her _mother_?

A male referee stood at the side of the battlefield, the familiar-looking colored flags in each hand. "This will be a six-on-six match," he said clearly. "Switching out is permitted for the Challenger, but only between battles for Terra." He glanced up at Belle's box. "Good luck," he added. "Begin!"

"Caillech!" Terra cried, throwing a Poké Ball. A Donphan erupted from it, trumpeting loudly.

"When did you get that?" Belle asked.

"He's the start of my new Ground team. Maybe after our battle is over, honey, you can suggest some other Ground Pokémon for me to train." She smiled. "Oh, this is the perfect way to see how much you've learned."

"Who did you send away to put this Donphan in your team?"

Terra's smile turned sad. "Danny." Danny was the Heracross she had named after Belle's father for reasons unknown to Belle.

Belle bit her lip as she thought briefly through her mother's team. Finally, she pulled Poliwhirl's Poké Ball off her belt and threw it onto the field, yelling its name.

"Donphan versus Poliwhirl! Let the battle begin!"

"Caillech, use Earthquake!"

"Poliwhirl, use Protect!"

Caillech reared up on its hind legs and slammed itself down. Cracks erupted in the earth and the whole building shook. Poliwhirl, however, leapt into the air and formed a green protective shield around him. The quaking earth didn't affect him. Belle felt her heart almost break as she saw the scar from the Cinnabar Gym burn on its back—while she had been able to treat the burn, the scar would never go away.

"Surf, Poliwhirl!"

Out of nowhere, Poliwhirl formed a gigantic wave, which he crashed down onto Caillech. The Donphan bellowed as it was swept up and buffeted in the rushing water. When the water died down and soaked into the earth, Caillech laid on its side, completely unconscious.

"Donphan is unable to battle! Poliwhirl wins!"

"Very nice, dear," Terra said, returning Caillech. "But this next one will be tougher. Amaterasu! It is your turn!" An Ampharos came onto the battlefield, rearing up, the red gem on its head glowing. "Use Thunderbolt!" And before Belle had a chance to withdraw Poliwhirl or react, Amaterasu hit Poliwhirl with a Thunderbolt so powerful that it fainted right then and there. She sighed as she returned him, but she plucked her next Poké Ball with a smile.

"Dugtrio! Let's do this!"

"Ah, a Ground Pokémon," Terra said with a smile. "And none of my Electric attacks can hit it."

"Dugtrio, show her _your_ Earthquake!"

"_Trio, trio, trio_!" All three of Diglett's heads narrowed their eyes as the earth began to crack and fissure; large mounds of dirt began to jut up and clods went flying. A large spike of dirt rushed up from right beneath Amaterasu, causing the Pokémon to fly up into the air with a cry. Dirt clods hit Amaterasu's falling body and it spiraled to the ground, where it laid as the floor shook violently around it.

"Ampharos is unable to battle! Dugtrio wins!"

"Good job, Amaterasu…Nix! Let's see _your_ Surf!"

A Politoed burst from its Ball and did the same thing Poliwhirl had done earlier, only much better; Dugtrio disappeared down its hole, which the water filled in. These one-hit KOs were advancing the battle quickly—a little _too_ quickly for Belle's taste. She hated having to return her Pokémon just as soon as her mother sent one out. Nix the Politoed had been one of her companions as a youngster; he was so fun to hug. Now she was forced to pluck Jolteon's Poké Ball off her belt to defeat it.

"Oh, you've already beaten my Ground Pokémon," Terra said with a smile as her eyes landed on Jolteon.

"Jolteon! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Now really, you're repeating me, honey," Terra remarked as the Electric move hit her Politoed. "Nix, are you still up? Good. Try out Seismic Toss."

"Don't let it grab you!" Belle cried; she knew from experience that Nix had an iron grip. Once he got his hands on a Pokémon—or anything, for that matter—it was difficult to wrench it away from him. "Dodge and use Spark!"

Jolteon flashed with electricity as it leapt aside, narrowly escaping Nix's outstretched fingers, and then wheeled around to barrel into the froglike Water Pokémon. Two Electric attacks in a row were too much for it to handle; it fainted promptly.

Belle's eyes flicked up to Terra as she returned Nix and reached for another Ball. She would probably use her starter Pokémon…it seemed the most logical choice…

"Tsukiyomi! I wish for you to attend this party!"

"Tsukiyomi?" Belle muttered. Tsukiyomi was her mother's Ninetales; it came bursting out of the Ball as she thought it, whipping its tails about, black as night—its father had been a Houndoom and had passed on the coloring. "But Ninetales doesn't really have a type advantage," Belle called.

Terra spread her hands, almost apologetically. "I like a challenge. Tsukiyomi! Fire Blast!"

Tsukiyomi opened its mouth and flames poured out of it, forming into the familiar person shape and rushing at Jolteon. Belle almost smiled. Her mother didn't mess around. "Jolteon! Dodge it, quick! Counter with Thunderbolt!"

"Please don't let that bolt hit you, Tsukiyomi," Terra said. "But, if you would, use Earthquake, please."

"What? Earth—Jolteon! Jump, do something!" Belle cursed herself inwardly as Tsukiyomi ruined the gym floor for the third time with Earthquake. She had forgotten that her mother's Ninetales knew that move—what was wrong with her? She was slipping, that was for sure.

Now what could she use? Belle was at a loss as she returned Jolteon. What did she have that wasn't fainted that had a type advantage over Tsukiyomi? She grabbed Primape's Ball and tossed it onto the field. "We can do this!" she yelled as her Pokémon burst onto the floor, but her voice shook. Could they?

"Tsukiyomi, Flame Wheel, please."

"Primape! Use—um—" But her mind drew a blank. Confused, Primape turned to look at her; and got caught in the back with a powerful wheel of fire. He fell flat on his face, but he stumbled to his feet. "I'm sorry, Primape! Seismic Toss!"

"Tsukiyomi, use—my, that thing is fast," Terra remarked almost conversationally as Primape eagerly seized Tsukiyomi by the neck and slung him up into the air, yelling what Belle was quite sure were curse words and stamping his feet. Tsukiyomi slammed to the ground in front of him.

"Karate Chop!"

Belle could almost hear Primape's protest. _Karate Chop? Really? I know so much better moves now!_ And she knew it, but for some reason, she couldn't think of them. He performed the move she wanted, chopping across Tsukiyomi's stomach.

"Now that it's close, use Fire Blast."

Tsukiyomi once again let loose the cross-shaped fire; it covered Primape completely, coating it with burns and fainting it thoroughly. Cursing, Belle withdrew her Pokémon. Only Charmy and Bellossum left. She couldn't use Bellossum—that would be equivalent to suicide. She tried to calm herself as she pulled Charmy's Ball off her belt. "Charmy! Let's go!"

"Oh, good old Charmy," Terra said happily, clapping her hands as the Charizard appeared on the field. "Look at how you've grown. Derek will be thrilled."

"Derek?" Belle hadn't thought about that—if her mother was here, where was her little brother?

"Tsukiyomi! Earthquake!"

"Charmy, Fly!"

Charmy launched into the air, spiraling upward and hovering for a few moments, waiting for the Earthquake to finish. When the ground stopped shaking, he rushed down and buffeted Tsukiyomi with his wings. The Ninetales cried out indignantly and, without being told, bit down on Charmy's arm. Roaring in pain, Charmy grabbed Tsukiyomi by the neck and threw him clear across the gym, directly into Belle's tall box, so hard that it shook and she fearfully grasped at the railing.

"Good job, Tsukiyomi—now, how about a _planned_ move? Quick Attack!"

Tsukiyomi struggled to its feet. It had gone against three Pokémon now, and it was hurt, especially by that last throw. Nevertheless, he was a black blur as he shot forward, hitting Charmy directly in his middle and knocking him over. Charmy smacked his head into Terra's podium.

"Charmy, Dragon Claw!"

Roaring angrily, Charmy slashed across Tsukiyomi's chest, but not before the Ninetales let out a Flamethrower, completely covering Charmy's head and neck in melting-hot flames. The Charizard roared in pain and pushed the Ninetales away, but the thing was fainted. Terra returned the Pokémon, but Belle eyed Charmy's several burns; he would be considerably weakened for the next battle, presumably against—

"Skarmory!"

—the very Skarmory she had ridden to Almia.

"Don't let him use any Fire attacks on you! Use Metal Claw—_aim for his neck_!"

"Charmy, use—" But Belle's mouth dropped open as she took in the ruthlessness of her mother. Skarmory opened up its talons and enclosed Charmy's neck in their grasp, shrieking loudly. Terra ordered it to use Steel Wing, so it brought its wing down on Charmy's face before letting him fall to the ground, fainted. "Oh…my…" The only one left was Bellossum. Just Bellossum—cute, tiny, Grass-type, weak-against-Flying Bellossum. "Bellossum," Belle said shakily.

Terra smiled confidently. She shifted in her box and brushed her hair off her shoulder, looking down at the battlefield. Her eyes narrowed. "Aerial Ace."

And it was over. Bellossum—Belle's last Pokémon—was fainted. She had lost. How many careless mistakes had she made? This was her _mother_—she should know her battling style. How could she be so stupid? What had made her this distracted, this absentminded, this—

"Mom!" Belle cried suddenly. She was halfway down the ladder; she dropped the rest of the way, landing painfully on her feet, but she didn't care. Something was happening inside her; a strange feeling bubbled in her stomach and pushed up into her chest until it came bursting, exploding, from her mouth. "Mom, I'm so lost!" She sank to her knees as sobs racked her body, burying her face in her hands. "Mom, I've messed up. I don't know what to do. Look at me! I'm so lost, Mom, I'm so lost!" She continued to sob uncontrollably.

Soon, Terra's voice was in Belle's ear, and her arms were wrapped around her. She pulled her daughter to her and stroked her hair gently, murmuring and rocking her back and forth. Belle was past shame. The pain from Lavender Tower had built inside her, strengthened by the guilt of leaving Derrick, and now it burst from her in the form of an emotional breakdown. She let her mother hold her tightly as she cried, loosing tears into Terra's sweater.

"It'll be okay," Terra murmured softly. "Everything will be okay."

How good it was to hear that. Belle cried harder; she needed this. She needed this cry, this relief, this comfort…and, above all else, her mother. It was so nice to feel the warmth of her mother's embrace again.

Confused and awkward, the referee bobbed about nearby, the colored flags hanging limply from his hands. With a smile, Terra waved a hand. "No more battles today," she said quietly. "Lock up the gym. Let it out, sweetie," she added to Belle, patting her back and resting her cheek on the top of the girl's head. "Everything will be okay."

And right then, in that moment, Belle knew it was true.

* * *

**To:** dancing_through_life, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** Sorry…

* * *

Hey you guys,

I've been really withdrawn from you guys, and I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'll explain everything later…for now, I'll just tell you what happened today.

I left Cinnabar Island and I'm at Viridian City, where it just so happens that my mom is the Gym Leader. She says that she became it recently, but she's not telling me what happened until tomorrow. I'm staying with her at the Gym, because it's also a living space, and it's really cool. It's so weird how you can go from a big room with a battlefield and bleachers to a house with four bedrooms (BIG ones) and a kitchen. Mom's not finished decorating yet.

I'm not moving on for a while. I'll stay here for a bit, and if Derrick happens to come in, then so be it. I won't hide from him, but I won't go looking for him either. And just so you know, he didn't do anything wrong…it's all me. And I'll explain it later.

Speaking of Derrick or Derek, I get to spend a lot of time with Derek. He was really happy to see me, but he was worried about me. He's out playing with Charmy right now.

I guess I'll talk to you guys later. I'm REALLY sorry.

Love lots and lots and forever and ever,

Belle

P.S. Please forgive me?

* * *

_Hi guys! Sorry I haven't had any chapters up...I don't have Internet at home, so that makes it rather difficult to update. But I'm putting up **two** chapters at one time and begging your forgiveness!_

_I'll thank my reviewers next chapter!_


	40. Chapter 39

Summer vacation was always a treasured time for Ranger School students. There was always great excitement as they stood outside with their bags, talking and saying their good-byes until their parents came to pick them up. Usually, the sun shone down on all the students milling about the grounds, playing with the school Pokémon one last time before they returned. Graduating students had already had their ceremony by that time, but a few of them would come back for a last look before they started their duties. It was the day that began everything, a day full of promises.

But on that one day, it had been storming.

Ten-year-old Alyssa's pigtails bobbed on either side of her head as she pulled her rolling suitcase over to the window, looking outside and trying to see past the water lashing at the glass. In all her five years at the Ranger School, she had never seen a day like this. She should have known it was a bad omen.

Warren had come to take her and her brother, Heath, home, bringing Machoke and Ambipom. Machoke heaved Alyssa onto his back and piggy-backed her all the way home, carrying her luggage and an umbrella, too; Warren and Heath ran beside Ambipom.

Diana was so happy they were home; she folded each one of them into her arms one at a time, no matter how wet they were. Warren was soaking.

* * *

It was in the middle of summer vacation that it happened. The day had just begun. Morning light filtered through Alyssa's window, waking her up just like it did every day. She got up and stretched.

The house was quiet, so Alyssa moved stealthily, quietly pulling the drawers of her dresser open to look for clothes to wear. It was her habit to always dress as soon as she woke up, since that was what she had to do at the Ranger School. She brushed her hair and pulled it into its pigtails, only glancing at the mirror during this process. They looked a tad uneven; she adjusted one of her pigtails before slipping out of her room.

The hardwood floor of the hallway squeaked in some places, so Alyssa had to be careful not to step on them. She made her way to Heath's room. He usually would play with her in the morning before everyone woke up.

Alyssa tiptoed to her brother's bedroom door and knocked against it gently. Heath didn't answer; she stood by the door for a few moments before trying the knob. The minute her fingers touched it, it opened a bit. Alyssa frowned. Why hadn't the door been shut all the way?

"Heath?" Alyssa whispered as she slipped into the room. There was something different here. The room felt…dead. Empty. She looked around. Heath wasn't in his bed, which was made neatly. He didn't appear to be in the room at all. "Heath?" she said again, a bit louder.

The door to his closet was ajar; she went over to it carefully. "Don't jump out at me and scare me," she said. "I'll tell Daddy!" She crept over to it and hesitated before pulling it open wildly.

Something swung out and she leapt back with a squeal; the thing settled down and she realized that it was just his Ranger School uniform, hanging on the back of the door in a clear plastic cover to keep it clean. Heart still pounding from the scare, Alyssa looked into the closet; but what she found was much scarier than Heath jumping out of it.

The usually neat closet was ransacked. Overalls, coveralls, work jeans were all thrown onto the floor. Empty hangars hung where clothes should have been, and some things were almost falling off. Alyssa took a step inside the small closet. It looked as though all Heath's dress clothes were gone. Why?

She spun around and surveyed the room again. His desk was wiped clean of its usual paraphernalia—stickers, Poké Ball toys, stationery paper and envelopes, pens and pencils, an old, framed family portrait that had been taken when Alyssa was five, Heath eight. It was all gone. Instead, one thing laid on the desk: an envelope. It was one from Heath's stationery set that Alyssa had gotten him for his birthday one year. He had always enjoyed that sort of thing; he didn't care much for working in the fields, but he loved to write. His handwriting was beautiful. She approached the desk and picked up the envelope. Written on the cover were the words: _To Everyone_. She opened it and pulled out the folded-up piece of paper. It was that stationery, all right—a blue piece of paper with an icy-looking border, with a Poké Ball in each corner and an Empoleon at the top.

_To Everyone,_

_I'm deeply sorry for what I've had to do, but I could not stay here any longer. Please excuse this. I cannot go to the Ranger School anymore; I have no desire to be a Ranger, or an Operator, or a Researcher. I have other dreams, and now I must leave to pursue them._

_Please understand that this is no one's fault. I am very sorry that it had to happen this way. I love all of you—Mother, Father, Alyssa, Ambipom, Machoke._

_Love,_

_Heath Thompson_

Tears sprang immediately to Alyssa's eyes. Heath was gone? He ran away? He had other dreams? What were they, and why did he want to leave so suddenly?

She abandoned the envelope and hurried downstairs. The house was so quiet—would anyone even be awake? She panicked as her footsteps took her closer to the first floor, but when she rounded the corner, Warren sat in the kitchen, drinking a steaming cup of coffee in a white T-shirt and jeans. His hair was unkempt and he still looked clean. A bit of stubble was sprouting on his square jaw; the sun glistened off the hair on his arm as he brought the coffee mug to his lips.

"Daddy," Alyssa breathed, hurrying to the kitchen. He set his cup down.

"Little daisy."

"Daddy, Heath…" She set the piece of paper in front of him. Warren looked down at it, his eyes traveling over it as he read it silently. When he was finished, he put his hand on it and slid it away from him. Alyssa's eyes filled with tears again. "Daddy, why would he leave? Why doesn't he love us anymore?"

Warren looked at his small, crying daughter in silence for a few moments. He took a sip of coffee, and when he set his mug back down, he spoke in his soft, deep voice. "When I was young, there was no Ranger School here. But there was a school."

Alyssa sniffled and looked at him.

"My father was a farmer. I wanted to be one too. I didn't need school for that." He closed his eyes. "I also wanted to have adventures. School wouldn't let me. I didn't do well. All the kids had a nickname for me…Tank."

"Tank?" Alyssa asked. "The kids had a nickname for Heath," she added. "It was…Heather. They said he acted like a girl. I can see how he wouldn't want that nickname, but Tank sounds okay."

"They called me that because I was stupid."

"You're not stupid, Daddy," Alyssa said, taking a step closer. Warren nodded.

"Yes. I was. I wanted to run away. I never did."

He took another sip of coffee and silence descended upon them. Alyssa stared at her father for a few minutes longer. "Well?" she asked finally. "Do you regret it?"

"Yes and no."

Confused and a little hurt, Alyssa asked, "Why yes?"

"I've never been out of Almia. I've never been past Pueltown. I'll never see anything outside this place."

"And…why no?"

He looked at her steadily before answering. "You're my little daisy," he said simply. And somehow, that answer was sufficient.

Alyssa went over to Warren and sat in his lap. It had been a few years since she had last done this, and it surprised her how easy, how natural it felt to do it again. "But what about Heath?" she asked. "Will he regret leaving?"

"No," Warren replied. "He doesn't belong here. His little daisy is somewhere else."

* * *

Alyssa yawned and sat up. Her hair fell around her shoulders and she looked around her room, virtually unchanged from six, almost seven years ago. She looked at the pillow beside hers where Ziggy slumbered peacefully, and it made her realize that she had changed a lot in six years.

Today she would have to head back to the Ranger Union HQ. She and Ian would have to capture another Staraptor, though, and the nearest Staraptor dwelling that she knew of was right outside Chicole Village.

As Alyssa pulled on her sweater, she caught sight of something green in her closet. She had forgotten…how long had it been? She crossed the room and pulled out her Ranger School uniform, hanging it on the back of her closet door. It had been so long since she had put it on. She reached out and touched the clear plastic cover, listening as it crinkled beneath her hand.

She smiled as memories flooded her mind, but soon she turned away and left her room. She couldn't really go back to those days. Just like that day six years ago, she avoided the squeaky parts of the floor as she headed down the hall, but instead of going to her brother's room, she went downstairs.

Ranger Union HQ was buzzing with excitement.

"What's going on?" Ian asked two Ranger girls running by, catching one by the arm. She shook him off.

"There's a big, important job coming up," she replied. "Erma's dispatching a whole _team_ of Rangers to shut down this factory. It's a big job, and everyone wants to know if they're on it or not."

Ian glanced over at Alyssa. "Is there a list anywhere?" he asked.

"Yeah, but Erma's not letting anyone see it right now," the other girl piped up. "The whole building's talking. She may even be calling people over from the Fiore region."

Suddenly, Ian's Styler beeped loudly. "Ranger Ian, this is Rhythmi. Erma would like to see you on the third floor."

"Be right there. Excuse me," he said to the two girls, and they immediately swooned.

"_You're_ Ian Walton?" one asked. "You're one of the most famous rookies here! The other one's—"

Alyssa's Styler beeped in the same manner as Ian's. "Ranger Alyssa, this is Rhythmi."

"Hi, Rhythmi."

"Hi. Erma would like to see you on the third floor."

"Be up in a sec." Alyssa pressed the button to end the conversation; the other girl grabbed Alyssa's arm.

"Are you Alyssa Thompson? You're the other famous rookie!"

"Oh my—she must want you to help take down the factory! Put in a good word for me! I'm Samantha Adams, I'm really great at capturing—"

"Uh-huh, that's great. Alyssa, let's go!"

They rushed up to the third floor, leaving the two shrieking fangirls behind. When they arrived, a group of other Rangers were waiting; the Operators at their computers continued to do their work, and Alyssa and Ian joined the small group of Rangers.

"Great, we're all here. You are all familiar with the factory, I trust?" Erma asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Well, you are the team of Rangers I have chosen to shut down the factory. Any objections?"

Alyssa didn't want to go back there, but she was also extremely happy to be one of the people shutting it down. She looked at the five other Rangers besides her and Ian. They were older than her; she recognized Keith and Everett, Casey's father. She and Ian were obviously the youngest here.

"You will begin training together immediately. Do _not_ write Alyssa and Ian off because of their youth; they were the ones who gathered the initial information leading to this operation. Now, everyone stand up, one at a time, and introduce yourselves—first and last name, age, Partner Pokémon. Alyssa first."

Alyssa stood and looked at the group. "Hello, everyone. My name is Alyssa Thompson. I'm sixteen, and this is Ziggy, my Partner Pokémon. He's a Zigzagoon." She pulled Ziggy from his place on her back.

"Like we couldn't see that," someone muttered. Alyssa's eyes narrowed.

"It's nice to meet you all," she said before sitting down. Ian stood up next.

"Ian Walton. I'm seventeen. My Partner Pokémon is Prinplup here." He gestured towards his Pokémon.

The next person stood—it was Keith. "Keith Regnar," he said. "I'm twenty-four, and this is Buizel, my Partner Pokémon."

"My name is Everett Rayman. I'm forty." Alyssa glanced up at Casey's father. "My Partner Pokémon is my Ariados, Piak."

The next person was a woman. She stood up and straightened her jacket before placing a hand on her hip and looking around at everyone with something like disdain. "Karri—that's K-A-R-R-I—Danes. I'm twenty-one. This is Siami, my Espeon." Alyssa knew immediately that this was the person who had spoken during her introduction.

Another woman stood, but she was a lot younger-looking than Karri; she was also shorter. "Hi, I'm Jean Danes. I'm Karri's sister! I'm eighteen, and this is my partner Exis." She indicated a Xatu standing beside her.

The last person to stand up was a man in his forties. He looked very stern as he gazed at everyone. "My name is Nelson McFayer, and I am forty-three years old. This is my Partner Pokémon, Rhunso. He is a Yanmega."

"Another Captain Obvious," Karri muttered.

"Speaking while I am speaking will _not_ be tolerated," he said, talking over the end of Karri's sentence. "I am heading up this operation, so I am your superior. You have been chosen because you are exceptionally good. If anyone turns on me, I will not hesitate to kill them."

A shocked silence rang through the group. Alyssa hoped that the man might be kidding, but he showed no signs of amusement. "Mr. Rayman here was in charge of the espionage mission to gather more information about Team Galactic's whereabouts in the factory. Please brief us, sir." Nelson sat as Casey's father stood.

"Thanks, Mr. McFayer. I managed to find out why Team Galactic is here in Almia, and it is very simple. When they disbanded in Sinnoh a few years ago, their leader, Cyrus, left them, and they have been searching for him ever since. The bomb threat on the Ranger School was a preemptive strike against us Rangers. Apparently, they feel that they are making a comeback, and they wanted to let us know that they meant business. They have seen signs that Cyrus is in Almia, and so they are setting up here to find him. The factory, however, has been working this way ever since they bloomed in Sinnoh, and was placed here instead of Sinnoh so as not to arouse suspicion. Not only do they make the hair dye for their own team members, but they ship it and sell it to perfectly innocent people who are unaware of Galactic's brutal nature.

"On my mission inside the factory, I placed small cameras around each room and wired into their surveillance cameras as well. Currently, we have our own personal Operator in Pueltown who will monitor everything around us carefully."

"And who is this Operator?" Karri snapped. "Why don't we get to meet her?"

"Her name is Casey, and she is my daughter. We will meet her when we go to Pueltown for the preliminary stages of—"

"Oh, I see how it works. She's family, so she gets a deal in this big operation, huh? Maybe she'll get promoted and get to work here because of it, huh?" Karri sneered. "That's not a way to go about things. Jean didn't get here just by my accomplishments."

"How do you know that you didn't get here because of Jean's?" Alyssa asked. Karri whipped around, gritting her teeth as her eyes met Alyssa's. _Oh, I'm not going to get along with _you_ very well,_ Alyssa thought, staring unblinkingly back at the girl.

"I think that's enough," Mr. Rayman said calmly. "At any rate, Team Galactic is unaware that their factory is under constant surveillance, but they have upped their security considerably; this means that there must be much careful planning before any infiltration is considered. Mr. McFayer will tell you how we'll go about that…Mr. McFayer?"

The man stood, and the Yanmega behind him stirred. His gray eyes gazed out from his wrinkled face sternly. "We will begin training together tomorrow. Meet at the training grounds at seven o'clock—in _uniforms_, please. We have a while before we must begin this mission, and I do not want any of our time to go to waste. Chairperson Erma, if you have anything…? No? Then you are all dismissed."

Alyssa gathered Ziggy into her lap and stroked the fur on his head briefly. She looked down at him, and he gazed at her with worried eyes—he could tell she was nervous. "I'll be fine," she whispered to him.

"You _hope_," said Karri's voice from above her. Her Espeon stood daintily with all four paws on her shoulder, two tails swishing behind her.

Alyssa stood, bringing herself almost level with the woman.

"You're too young, sweetie. Go back to your house and play with your dolls."

"If I'm too young, then why am I here?" Alyssa retorted. "And I didn't play with dolls. Unlike you, I had better things to do with my time when I was younger—like get straight As and become valedictorian of my class."

Karri's eyes narrowed. "You mark my words, little girl," she said, her voice low. "Tomorrow, at that training ground, I'm going to do better than you at all the exercises. You know why? Because I have more experience. I've been doing this sort of thing since before you were born."

"Really? At five? That's not so special." Alyssa placed Ziggy at his favorite place—hanging off her shoulder. "Everyone joins the Ranger School at five." With that, she pushed past Karri and went downstairs, smiling as she heard the woman's scoff from behind her.

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject: **BELLE!

* * *

OMG DID YOU GET BELLE'S LAST EMAIL?

Do you think that when Terra said she knew a way to fix everything she meant BECOME THE VIRIDIAN CITY GYM LEADER? I'm SO HAPPY we have our Belle back to normal…almost!

I have a new mission—I can't wait to get started, because there's a woman on the team with me whose name is Carrie but she spells it weird…like with a K or something. I can't remember. Karrie? Karri? Kary? I don't know. But

AHHHH BELLE IS BACK TO NORMAL YAY YAY YAY I can't focus on anything else!

Love from your excited friend,

Alyssa

* * *

**To:** dingdongbellepoké

**From: **thompson_.com

**Subject:** ^_^

* * *

So you're okay? Please, at least tell me how the battle went…please?

And take as long as you want to explain everything. I know that things can get complicated, so tell me whenever you want. I'm just so glad you're starting to feel okay…I was worried, and Cassandra was too.

I won't bother you too much now, but please, PLEASE continue sending us detailed emails…we love you.

Loving you forever,

Alyssa

* * *

_Okay, and now to thank my awesome reviewers that reviewed Chapter 37!_

_**Mo12341234 **(You've been here since practically the beginning, so of course you're one of my favorites. XD Yaaaay no plot developmeeennnttt!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Yay, thank you for your review!)_

_**EternalPKK **(Yes, sacrificing coloring time is certainly hard, but Karen is a trooper.)_

_**Ash **(Why thank you! XD)_

_**hawkfire111 **(Thanks for your idea, but I already had one. ^_^ Maybe you could put something like that in your own story, though!)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Yes, razzle-dazzling indeed. (Um, I might be stupid, but that reminds me a lot of that song "Razzle Dazzle" from the musical Chicago...did you mean to reference that?))_

_And thank you for sticking with me! We're actually nearing the final haul, you guys!_


	41. Chapter 40

Belle gently placed the framed picture of herself, Terra, and Daniel at the beach on the nail poking out of the wall, trying not to fall off her stepladder. Her hair was pulled back into the smallest of ponytails—it had been a while since she had had to do this. Her hair was getting longer.

"Try not to fall off your ladder," Terra said. Belle straightened the picture and stepped down.

"It's a stepladder," she corrected her mother.

Terra tucked some bangs behind her ears. The rest of her hair was pulled back in a lengthy ponytail underneath an emerald green bandana. She wore a plain white T-shirt splattered with light green paint and black gym shorts, and her feet were bare, her green toenail polish flashing when it caught the light. It was strange for Belle to realize just how beautiful her mother was—the high cheekbones, the chocolate-colored eyes, the long and thin but strong fingers—and stranger still to realize that she had inherited these features. "What's the difference, sweetie?" Terra asked, flipping her stubborn bangs out of her eyes with a toss of her head.

"Well, calling it a ladder is like…a narrow-minded cultural assumption."

Terra smiled and shook her head before turning toward the kitchen. "You're starting to sound like your father. He said weird stuff like that all the time." She picked briefly at a speck of paint on her arm; Terra was in the process of painting the front room. She had managed to get the back rooms painted first, since they were smaller, so Belle was decorating them.

Belle folded up her stepladder and leaned it against the wall. "So what's up with all the green lately?" she asked, following her mom into the kitchen and watching as she began opening cabinet doors.

"I'm trying to get into the _Mother Earth_ theme," Terra replied, shaking the bangs out of her eyes again. She pulled down a can of vegetables. "After all, I'm now the leader of a Ground-type Gym."

"So you're gonna stay here?"

"Certainly. Can you grab a pot for me, please, Belle? And a frying pan? Just stick them on the stove. Why wouldn't I?" Terra crossed to the stove, vegetables in one hand and a can opener in the other. "Turn the burners on."

Belle readied the stove before watching her mother opening the can. "I don't know. Just…from what you told me, it sounds like you only came because you were worried about me."

"That was my initial reason," Terra admitted, dumping the vegetables into the pot and moving the pot onto the burner. "But I like being a Gym Leader. I battled two Trainers before you, actually. A boy and a girl—they came together. They were friends. Sweet, really," she added, moving past Belle to the cabinets again. "Reminded me of me and your dad, before he did that disappearing act in the middle of our journey."

"Disappearing act?" Belle said, bewildered.

"Mom?" Derek had come into the kitchen. "Mom, are you making dinner?"

"Yes I am," Terra replied. "Why? You hungry?"

"Yeah…"

Somehow, Belle didn't want to inquire about her father's "disappearing act" with Derek around. She turned to him and grinned. "Hey, buddy! Where's Charmy?"

Derek returned her grin with enthusiasm. "In the gym! We're playing—we all are. Oh—how did Poliwhirl get that scar on its back?"

Belle sighed. "In a Gym Leader fight. I was really dumb about that," she remarked.

"Ooh, tell me!" Derek cried, grabbing her hand. "Mom, is it okay if Belle takes a break?"

"Sure," Terra replied, now emptying rice into a bowl.

* * *

That night, Belle kissed her mother's forehead at around eleven o'clock, telling her good-night. "Is it that late?" Terra asked. She had lines of tape all around the room; she was going to paint horizontal stripes of different shades of green up the walls, and then sponge the colors together so that it looked like it was fading. Her fingers were covered in paint of varying shades of green, so she tried to brush her bangs out of her eyes with her wrist, which left a small streak of medium green on her forehead.

Belle laughed. "So showering doesn't get that stuff off?"

"No, it's oil-based paint," Terra sighed, putting the roller down. "It blends with the oil in your skin. Did you check on Derrick?"

"Yeah. He's sleeping with Poliwhirl," Belle replied. "He really likes my Pokémon."

"I knew he would," Terra replied. "He's gotten bored of all mine. I think he likes Water Pokémon…he used to play with Nix a lot."

"Funny, because Charizard is his favorite Pokémon."

"Do you remember the day you left?" Terra asked suddenly, looking up from her place on the floor, where she had been crouching and trying to paint dark green.

"Yes…"

"And he gave you his Charizard toy?"

Belle smiled and reached into her pocket, pulling out the toy in question. "Yes. It's what helped me make the decision."

Terra smiled. When Belle went to put it back into her pocket, Terra reached out and caught her wrist. "Sweetie," she said, and Belle looked down. "You do know that…whenever you want to tell me…what happened…I'll stop what I'm doing and listen."

Belle felt like a small child again; eight years old, standing up, her mother kneeling and holding her hand, looking her seriously in the eye. _You can talk to me,_ she had said then. _I'll stop what I'm doing and listen._ Of course, then, it had been about her father.

Now, Belle dropped her gaze. "I know," she said, and she was overwhelmed with de já vu; it was just like all those years ago.

Terra's hand fell from Belle's wrist to settle on her own knee. Worry appeared on her face in countless small ways that Belle had learned to recognize over the years—the tightening of the corners of her lips, the softening of the eyes, the slight twitch between the eyebrows as she fought to keep her expression neutral.

"Good night, Mom." Belle smiled gently and left her mother to her complicated living room walls. She put on her pajamas and slipped gently into the sweet-smelling sheets of her old bed.

The door opened and Charmy came through, bending his long neck to duck under the doorway. He rumbled in his throat as he shut the door behind him.

"Come in," Belle said quietly. "How's Derek? Is he sleeping?" She sat up in bed as her Charizard came closer; she could see his tail flame shining brightly.

Charmy rumbled again and stopped beside her bed.

"You can climb in if you want," Belle said, patting the bed beside her. "It's…well…small, though. It's been a while since I slept in this bed," she added. "Mom brought it from our house in Cherrygrove. You've never seen Cherrygrove…but you will. When I visit…home…" She looked down. The shadows on her blankets lengthened as Charmy came closer, bending his neck to plant a dragonish kiss on the top of her head. She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm a big mess, huh, Charmy?"

Growling pleasantly, he folded his wings up as small as they could go and clambered into the bed, stretching out on his stomach and adjusting his tail so that he wouldn't catch the sheets on fire. Belle laid down too.

"Poliwhirl still with D-D-Derek?" she yawned, pulling the covers up to her chin and closing her eyes. Charmy growled in assurance. "How about Bellosum and Primape? Them too? Dugtrio? Jolteon?"

Belle nodded at Charmy's answering growls and turned on her side, away from him. _Whenever you want to tell me…what happened…I'll stop what I'm doing and listen. _Her mother's voice rang through her head. She still kept that story inside, but if she could tell anyone without it being a major burden, it was her mother. Maybe she'd tell her…tomorrow…

Belle vaguely realized that she hadn't taken out her ponytail before she dropped off to sleep.

* * *

**To:** dancing_through_life

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject: **You!

* * *

Mom told me all about how you wrote to her, and now she's the Viridian City Gym Leader. You rascal, you!

Well, I'm not doing much, just helping Mom decorate the house. It's looking nice. Mom's trying to decorate it with "earth tones", so it's mostly green, but Derek's room is red and orange, and mine is blue. Derek really likes Poliwhirl, and Poliwhirl likes him right back. I bet it's going to be hard for them when I move on.

Poliwhirl's got a huge scar on his back from the Cinnabar Island Gym, and it's all my fault. The scar just won't go away. It doesn't hurt him anymore, but it looks terrible—like this big dark blue and black gash going right down his back. It kind of reminds me of the scar I got from the stitches when Derrick ran out of the Viridian Forest and scared me.

The Viridian Forest…it's just ahead. It's strange to be back here, the first city I came to after getting my first Pokémon. I like to visit Nurse Joy—she's usually really busy, though. There are a lot of newer Trainers coming through, and it's weird that they're just my age. They seem so much younger. Nurse Joy says that usually, kids are at least seventeen when they finish their journey. I guess I just sped through it.

Speaking of, isn't Alyssa turning seventeen soon? I wish we could be with her for her birthday, but I don't think that's going to happen. =/ She's really moving up in the Ranger world.

Well, I'll wrap this up.

Love you lots!

Belle

* * *

_I am **SO SORRY **that I haven't been putting up chapters! I'm **really REALLY SORRY**, so don't tase me, bro!_

_Thanks to all my reviewers, and points to anyone who can find a special reference in this chapter!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Ha, putting people in Poke Balls is an amusing concept!)_

_**Yereton **(Teehee, you avoided saying cuss words in a clever fashion.)_

_**TheFlutterbyEffect **(Thanks so much! So far no one likes Karri. ^_^)_

_**hawkfire111 **(Thanks! I might take you up on that offer.)_

_**Mo12341234 **(YES I MADE YOU HAVE AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE *does jig* YES! ...I'm a bit excited.)_

_Thanks to everyone for reviewing and sticking with me through all my craziness! We're actually coming to a close here soon!_


	42. Chapter 41

Training for the mission was taking up lots of Alyssa's time.

Before, she had at least gotten days off; now, it seemed she was out with her team every single day. They ran obstacle courses and did all sorts of exercises. They even played games like soccer and basketball, which Alyssa supposed were supposed to help their teamwork. Mr. McFayer was an excellent basketball player, much to Alyssa's surprise, and he was always barking orders at everyone, no matter whose team he was on. The orders mostly consisted of things like "Karri, let someone else have the ball!" or "Other people can make baskets, too, Karri!"

As much as Alyssa hated to admit it, Karri was a force to be reckoned with. She made some of the fastest times through the obstacle courses, she was a star player no matter what team she was on, she moved gracefully yet fiercely…but Alyssa was right there with her. She hadn't ever played much basketball, but she was pretty good at soccer; and obstacle courses were a piece of cake. Being a Ranger meant you had to be athletic, and Alyssa was.

Alyssa showed up that morning with Ziggy hanging off her back as usual and Ian at her side. Mr. McFayer and Mr. Rayman were already there, and Keith stood talking to them with a basketball under his arm.

"Basketball again today," Alyssa noted easily to Ian. He nodded.

"Wonder which team I'll be on?"

"Wonder if I'll even be playing for the first few games?" Mr. McFayer liked to switch up the teams. Someone always had to sit out, of course, since their number was uneven; they had to referee.

"I hope you aren't," Karri said, bumping Alyssa's shoulder as she passed by. Her long, light blue hair hung free around her shoulders, and Siami sat on her shoulder, eyes glittering at Alyssa. "It's always so much more _fun_ when you're not involved."

"Because then it's easier for you to win," Alyssa retorted. "I'm always your biggest competition."

Karri's lip twisted into a snarl; this was the look Alyssa most associated with a sharp remark, but just then, Jean came bouncing into the gym. "Ooh, basketball!" she chirped happily. "Maybe we'll be on the same team, Alyssa!"

Alyssa laughed. "Maybe." She liked Jean; she was much nicer than her sister, and she seemed almost comically in tune with Exis's feelings. It was often that she looked over at Exis with a frown, asking it some strange obscure question like "But orange and purple are sunset colors, Exis, why do you keep wanting silver?"

"Now that we're all here," Mr. McFayer said, "I'd like to divide us up into teams. Three-on-three as usual. I'll be sitting out. We'll be doing boys against girls."

"Yes!" Jean cried happily. She grabbed Alyssa's hand. "Let's go! Be nice, Karri," she added in a somewhat dark undertone.

Alyssa glanced over at Karri as Ziggy slid off her back to sit on the sidelines; this was a people-only game. Karri was glaring right back. They had never been on the same team before; Mr. McFayer had always put them on opposing teams and watched them roar against each other. Now, however, they would have to work together. Karri's top lip curled.

Alyssa tightened her ponytail and shrugged out of her jacket as she made her way to the center of the court. Mr. McFayer made them do all their exercises in their Ranger uniforms, which mean that Alyssa's had to be cleaned every day due to all the sweating. She tossed the jacket on a chair on the sidelines.

Karri shoved past her. "I'll do it," she said, confusing Alyssa. She stepped up to the center, across from Ian, who had also left his jacket on a chair.

"Karri always likes to do this part," Jean told Alyssa. She then frowned and glanced over at Exis. "No, Exis, pi is an irrational number that goes on to infinity," she called to him.

Alyssa chose not to ask.

Mr. McFayer stepped between Karri and Ian, the basketball sitting on his open palm. "Play a clean game," he said, and then threw the ball into the air.

Karri leapt expertly and scooped the ball into her arms; she then ran across the court, dribbling fiercely. Ian was right along beside her, and Mr. Rayman popped up in front of her. Keith ran up to meet her near the basket.

Alyssa's feet had started moving the moment Karri's had; she ran the length of the court, eyes on the ball. Karri stopped as Mr. Rayman blocked her, and she looked around. Alyssa waved her arm—she was open—but Jean was the one who deftly caught the ball.

Keith was on Jean in a flash, but she dodged him and sent the ball soaring into the basket. It clanged against the backboard before falling through the net; Ian grabbed it and was dribbling up the court before they could do much celebrating.

Alyssa was the closest to Ian, so she attached herself to him. She made a swipe at the ball, but he spun out of her reach; she followed. And then, suddenly, Karri was at his other side, scooping for the ball; Ian stopped and threw it off to Keith.

Immediately, Karri was in Keith's face. Not to be outdone, Alyssa was there too, making him stop. He threw the ball to an open Ian, who scored.

Jean grabbed the ball, but Mr. Rayman stole it halfway up the court. Once again, Alyssa and Karri ambushed him; he threw it off to Keith, who scored. Again, Jean got the ball; again, it was stolen; again, Alyssa and Karri ambushed the ball-holder; and again, he threw it to an open player, who caught it and scored a basket.

"Stay out of my way!" Karri yelled at Alyssa.

"Stay out of _my_ way!" Alyssa yelled back. "You're making us lose!"

"_Me_? You're the one who—"

"Stop it!" Jean yelled, grabbing Karri by the shoulder and snatching her away from Alyssa. "If both of you don't get a grip, we'll lose!"

"It's _her_ fault!" Karri snarled, pushing a finger in Alyssa's face. Alyssa knocked it away, and Karri's eyes bulged; she leapt toward her, fists clenched, and Alyssa tensed, ready for a fight.

"Time out!" thundered Mr. McFayer, striding across the court. He grabbed Karri's upper arm and snatched her away from Alyssa. "Both of you sit out," he yelled. "Go! We'll start a new game. Ian, be referee—Jean, you'll be on my team. Everett and Keith, team up."

The game started up, and Alyssa sat on the chair with her jacket, fuming. Ziggy attempted to lighten her spirits, but she couldn't look away from the game that she wasn't allowed to play right now.

"I can't believe you got me kicked out of the game," Karri snapped from her seat.

"It's your fault we're not playing," Alyssa retorted. "You attacked me."

"You pushed my hand."

"You put your finger in my face. That's rude."

"Foul!" Ian called as Jean bumped into Keith. "Mr. Rayman and Keith get a free throw."

"Good call," Alyssa said, nodding.

"Are you kidding?" Karri snapped, much more loudly. "That was a _terrible_ call—Keith ran into _Jean_."

"It may not have been quite on purpose, but Jean hit Keith."

"Anyone with a brain could have seen that it was Keith's fault!"

The rage Alyssa had been attempting to suppress bubbled up to the surface. "You're the one without a brain."

And then Karri was in front of Alyssa, her face inches away. "You wanna say that again?"

Alyssa stood, slamming her hand into Karri's shoulder to make her back off; Karri stumbled back in surprise, and then, with a yell, she leapt forward, bringing her fist towards Alyssa's face. Alyssa ducked and grabbed the girl around her waist, picking her up and throwing her into the chairs. Karri recovered quickly and came at her again, this time landing a hit to Alyssa's stomach; Alyssa's breath came out in a _woosh_. She cocked her arm back and slammed her fist into Karri's jaw.

With a yell, Alyssa went to hurl herself at Karri again, but something peculiar happened; she was lifted off her feet, hovering helplessly in midair. The same appeared to have happened to Karri. They were both surrounded with a strange, pinkish-white light.

"Thank you, Exis," said a satisfied-sounding Jean. She stood there with Keith, Ian, Mr. Rayman, and Mr. McFayer, who looked livid. His arms were folded firmly across his chest, and Rhunso hovered threateningly near him.

"We are on a _team_," Mr. McFayer said, his voice coming out calm and precise despite the anger on his features. Somehow, this was scarier than if he yelled. "If you two cannot get past your own differences, you will compromise the mission and possibly destroy the entire team. If you cannot act civilly and work together, I will _kick you off_."

Karri glared at Alyssa. "You hear that?" she snapped. "If you can't be polite, he'll get rid of you."

"You are as much at fault as Miss Thompson," Mr. McFayer told her. "Your smug attitude is dragging down the efficiency of the team as a whole, so you are one to talk of _politeness_. Perhaps I should rephrase my earlier threat—if you cannot work together, _both_ of you will be off the team. Dismissed for today," he added. "Think about it," he told Alyssa and Karri; Exis let them drift back to the floor. Alyssa's fists clenched and she turned away, heading for the door.

Ian was at her side in a moment. "Don't let her get to you," he said, lifting Ziggy to place him on Alyssa's shoulder. He had her jacket over one arm. "Hey. Hey," he said insistently, grabbing her upper arm. She stopped and looked at him. "Once this mission's over, you won't have to deal with her anymore. You'll have to deal with all sorts of people when you're a Ranger, okay? Just ignore her."

Alyssa sighed. "That's easier said than done," she replied. "Thanks for getting my jacket." She took it from him and walked away, towards her apartment.

* * *

**To: **dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject: **hate.

* * *

I am so angry. I hate hate HATE Karri Danes with every fiber of my being.

Sorry I can't write more…I'm too full of HATE.

Love (and HATE),

Alyssa

* * *

_Oh my goodness, I cannot believe I've been away from the Internet for so long...I'm so sorry!1!1!one!shifty-one!_

_So, now to thank the reviewers (who, hopefully, still love me =D) that reviewed last chapter!_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Thanks! I'm sure Belle would like your support. ^_^)_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yeah, it's sad, but it's ending soon...I think...I'm pretty sure...)**  
**_

_**hawkfire111 **(Yeah, the new games are called Black and White...I saw the new starters, and I seem to remember one as a fire-pig thing.)**  
**_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Thanks! XD Hopefully, the rematch will be epic...if I can write it well enough. -_-)_

_Thanks to everybody, and to all you guys who haven't reviewed lately (you know who you are, I'm not gonna call you out by name! XD):** I REALLY MISS YOU! **I'm gonna list you guys next time!_

_Thank you for reading (and being patient)!  
_


	43. Chapter 42

"Can we go into town today?" Karen asked as Cassandra came out of the bathroom, scaring her half to death. The younger girl had been asleep when she had gone in, and now she stood directly in front of the bathroom door.

"Why?"

"Because…I want to hang out and stuff. Plus, I need some more coloring books."

"Well, I don't know if there's any place to get coloring books around Fallarbor Town," Cassandra told Karen, pushing past her to get to the dresser. "We might have to take the cable car to Lavaridge for that."

"I just want to get _out_ of here. I'm bored. Aren't you, Fluffy?" Since Karen and Cassandra's chat about Poké Balls, Cassandra kept her Pokémon out unless it was absolutely necessary for them to be in their Balls—Ellia, though, had to be kept in for most situations, since she had a tendency to set things on fire.

Fluffy chose not to answer; he glanced over at Cassandra and stretched out across the floor, yawning.

"That's fine. Get dressed and grab your umbrella. Swablu, Finny, do you want in or out?" Cassandra picked their Poké Balls up off the dresser.

Swablu chirped from her spot on Cassandra's headboard at the same time Finny made a noise from her bed.

"They both say out," Karen called from the bathroom.

"I don't even need to ask you," Cassandra said to Fluffy.

When they were both dressed, Cassandra, Karen, and all the Pokémon walked the short way to Fallarbor Town. Swablu perched on Cassandra's head, and Fluffy and Finny walked on either side of her. Ellia trotted ahead, tossing her head as ashes fell on it, and Tuffly carried Karen's umbrella.

As they neared the town, the ashes stopped falling, which Cassandra was extremely grateful for. Tuffly folded up the umbrella. "Do you want to grab some breakfast first?" Cassandra asked, gesturing towards a small restaurant.

"Sure." Karen led the way.

The restaurant may have been small, but it was packed. Cassandra sighed as they stepped in. "It might be a long wait."

"I'm willing to wait," Karen remarked.

A few people were sitting on small wooden benches near the entrance, obviously waiting for a table. The hostess finished writing something in a large notebook as she glanced up. "Two? The wait will be about—hey!" Her eyes jumped from Cassandra's face, to Karen's, to Finny standing by Cassandra's leg. "Aren't you Cassandra Étoile?"

Everyone on the benches looked up. "It is!" one woman exclaimed. She stood from her seat by her husband, swiftly handing him the small child she had been holding in her lap. "Cassandra Étoile! Sarah Rhodes, I'm so excited to meet you." She closed the distance between them and seized Cassandra's hand, pumping it. "I think you deserved to win the Contest. You haven't given up, have you?"

"No," Cassandra replied with a smile. "I haven't."

"Fantastic! You perform beautifully, like a dream!"

"You certainly do," cried another woman, appearing beside the first. "I'm with her, you should have won that Contest—"

"Oh, really, Sakura Konohana—" Cassandra began, but there was a shout of protest from the several people who had suddenly gathered around her.

"Something wasn't right about that Konohana girl!" one man exclaimed. "I think she bribed a judge!"

"Yeah!" several people shouted.

"You shouldn't slander her name like that," Cassandra said with a smile, inwardly bursting with pride. "She may have won honestly and fairly—"

"I don't think so," Sarah Rhodes snapped. "She drew blood from this Marshtomp here, I _saw_ it. Isn't there a rule against that?"

There was a chorus of assent from the crowd, and Cassandra smiled at everyone. "Well, let's not discuss it now. I'm flattered that you all seem to like me."

"Honey, you're one of the best Coordinators this town's seen. And that hair? It's amazing. What do you do to it?"

"Oh, well…just shampoo, conditioner, and a good brushing before I go to bed," she replied nervously.

"It has to be a special kind of shampoo," Sarah insisted, but she smiled slyly. "You don't want to give away your secrets, I suppose. Don't want everyone walking around with Cassandra hair."

Cassandra was a bit baffled by this response—she really didn't do anything special with her hair. But Karen smiled beside her, saying, "Coordinators are like magicians—they can't reveal all their tricks. Now, budge up, please, give her some air." It was strange to see someone so short wave away a crowd so large.

"We should eat somewhere else," Cassandra told Karen in an undertone. The pink-haired girl looked up at her confusedly.

"Why? Everyone here seems to like you."

Cassandra opened her mouth to speak, but the hostess announced that the next table was ready; the person insisted that Cassandra take it, saying they would wait a bit longer, and so Cassandra and Karen sat across from each other in a booth that Tuffly could actually fit in and ordered breakfast—chocolate-chip waffles for Karen, blueberry pancakes for Cassandra.

When their food came, Cassandra found it hard to watch Karen drown her waffles in chocolate syrup without feeling as though she would develop diabetes, so she turned her attention instead to her Pokémon, making sure they had Pokémon food to their liking. Their waitress kept bowing and smiling and thanking them, and before they left, she nervously asked Cassandra for an autograph.

Cassandra had never felt so important in her life.

"Don't do it like that," Karen snapped severely from under her pink umbrella. Cassandra blankly looked over at the girl. She was sitting astride Ellia, attempting to ride her for the first time. The Ponyta had been wary at first, but now she seemed just fine, standing stock-still under the falling ash.

"But this is how you're supposed to do it, isn't it?" Cassandra asked. "How else could you ride a Ponyta or Rapidash?"

"_Sidesaddle_, of course," Karen said. She placed a hand on her hip. "It will look much more elegant, and that's what you need to think about, since you're a Coordinator. If you come riding into the hall sitting on a Rapidash like that, everyone's going to think cowgirl. But if you ride in sidesaddle—_that_ makes an impression."

"But I don't know how to ride sidesaddle."

"Do you know how to ride _that _way?"

Cassandra slipped off Ellia's back. "Good point," she said, as Ellia bent her knees slightly and allowed Cassandra to scoot up with both legs hanging over one side. It was a little awkward, but she shifted a bit so that her butt fell into a groove in Ellia's back, and her legs just folded gracefully against the Ponyta's side.

"I'm thinking white," Karen said. "White, gauzy…bare feet, hair down. If you play with the lighting, your hair could look like fire."

"Should I get a saddle?"

"No! It'll look better without one. Bareback you look…natural."

It was so strange to hear these tips from cute little Karen. This girl knew things about image. "Natural?"

"Yes. All Coordinators have a certain image—Sakura had her traditional look, Violet Tanner had the whole flower-thing going for her, Danielle Breesin had this mermaid look…it comes standard with being a Coordinator. _You have to have a look_. And I think you could pull of the Mother Nature look."

Cassandra raised her eyebrows, impressed by Karen's knowledge of famous Coordinators. She shifted on Ellia's back. "The Contest is really soon," she said. "I think I'll start training now, and we can get back to this later."

"Okay, but remember—_nature_. I'll go and pick out your next outfit."

Cassandra shook her head slightly as she watched the pink-haired girl march back toward the inn.

**To:** thompson_.com

**From:** dancing_through_lifepoké

**Subject:** XD

I'm excited too!

Having Belle back to normal is so great…I just feel awesome now!

So it turns out that Karen also knows a lot about Coordinators and Contests, and she's decided to refine my image to make me "Mother Nature" or something like that. Anyway,

WE HAVE BELLE BACK!

I'm so excited!

And congrats on your new mission! Why are you excited about having a mission with some woman who spells her name weird?

Love you bunches,

Cassandra

P.S. Only five more days until the contest!

_

* * *

_

_Once again, sorry it's been so long, no Internet at home, etc. etc. Will thank reviewers in next chapter, cus I'm putting up 2 at once!_


	44. Chapter 43

The day of the next Fallarbor Town Contest was upon Cassandra so fast she wasn't sure how it had gotten there. She put on the dress Karen had picked out for her (a long, light-blue one that slowly turned to pale orange near the bottom—"Long dresses help the Mother Nature look. And no shoes!" Karen had said), pinned her hair up in a bun, and walked into the contest hall with Karen in tow. Cassandra had wanted Swablu to evolve to Altaria before this contest, but it hadn't happened; she was disappointed, but she had to focus on Finny, with whom she was competing.

Everything went by in a blur—Cassandra's first battle was against a Nidorina, but Finny quickly won with Mud Bomb and Mud Shot. The poor girl that Cassandra battled next had a Quilava, which would be weak against whichever move Finny threw out. She seemed to resign herself to her fate before Finny hit her Pokémon with Surf.

The next Pokémon was a Pidgeotto, which was a little trickier—none of the Ground-type moves would hit it, so Cassandra had to rely on far-reaching moves like Surf and Aqua Jet to take it down. She was happy to find that wet feathers didn't fly very well, and her final move was Take Down.

After the third battle, Cassandra went back into the Coordinator's room to ready herself. A lot of other coordinators were congratulating her; many proclaimed themselves "fans", which made Cassandra happier than words could express. It was Karen she looked to, however, for support—the girl came tramping to meet her.

"Don't get ahead of yourself in this next battle," Karen told Cassandra. "Just keep a steady head, and I'm sure you'll win."

"Where's Tuffly?"

"Keeping our seats. Now go out there and break a leg."

Cassandra stepped up to the platform, smiling happily, to participate in her final battle. If she won this, she would have to be in Slateport City next week for the Hyper Rank Contest; and then, the next week, Lilycove City for the Master Rank Contest. She hadn't realized until just now how little time she had.

The girl across the court from her was tall, much taller than Cassandra; she had long, thick black hair held back in a braid, and she wore flowing red pants and a small, sleeveless top. A red veil covered the bottom half of her face, but her dark brown eyes burned and smoked from above it, seeming to pierce Cassandra from across the court. Cassandra narrowed her eyes, attempting to do the same; she let her determination fill her expression. A flicker went across the woman's eyes.

"And now, the final battle!" the MC boomed from the speakers. "We have here Cassandra Étoile, a repeat challenger from Verdanturf Town!"

Cassandra smiled and waved at the crowd; she distinctly heard Karen's voice, yelling louder than most of the people. She was surprised and happy to see that some people held cardboard signs aloft; they said things like _Cassandra is the best! _and _Kill 'em with honey-colored hair!_

"And battling her is Jasmine Asir of Haruba Desert, all the way from Almia!"

Jasmine appeared to smile with her eyes as she looked around at the cheering crowd. _Almia,_ Cassandra thought, picturing Alyssa along with a faceless tormentor named Karri.

"This battle will determine who wins the Super Rank Contest and goes on to battle in Slateport City! And without further ado…_begin_!"

"Go, Finny!" Cassandra threw her Poké Ball; Finny leapt out with a cry, turned a small front-flip, and squirted water into the air as he landed, seeming to twirl in a sprinkle of rain.

"And Miss Étoile has gotten off to a good start; look at that points-bar rise!"

Jasmine raised her bare arms above her head and closed her eyes; after a few moments, she brought her right arm around and yelled out, "Medicham!"

A Pokémon shorter than its owner burst from the Poké Ball, doing what seemed to be a roundhouse kick in midair before raising both its arms and drifting, slowly, to the ground.

Cassandra glanced up as the MC yelled something about "fantastic" and saw Jasmine's yellow bar push to rest just below hers. And then she was in full battle mode; she shifted forward.

"Meditate," Jasmine said, and, as one, she and her Medicham raised their arms above their heads, pressed their palms together, and lowered their hands to chest-height, closing their eyes. "Mind Reader."

And then both of them stood stock still. Cassandra assessed the situation—this was an opening; a big, bright, shiny opening, ready-made and just waiting for her to take advantage.

"Finny, Take Down!"

Finny leapt forward gracefully, dashing up to Medicham, closing the distance quickly—

"High Jump Kick."

Cassandra wasn't sure how it happened; suddenly, Finny was lying on its side several feet away, and Medicham was standing a foot in front of where it had been, arms by its side, feet shoulder-width apart, and staring at Finny as he got to his feet.

_Crap,_ Cassandra thought. Finny glanced over at her, awaiting orders. She wasn't sure. Was it better to get close, attack it at point-blank range? Did its weakness lie close to it?

"Force Palm," Jasmine said in a soft voice. Medicham sprang toward Finny and put its open hand on Finny's head; and then Finny was flying backwards.

_We need ranged attacks,_ Cassandra decided immediately as her points-bar crept downward. Luckily, Finny turned a backflip and landed upright, taking no damage from the fall. "Finny, use Mud Bomb!"

Finny found the place it had initially landed from its Poké Ball entrance; the ground was soft and muddy here, thanks to the rain it had created; he slapped his front fins against it and squirted water at the mud that flew up, creating a sort of bomb that soared across the court and slammed into Medicham's face.

"_Cham_!" The thing fell backwards, hitting the ground.

"Get up!" Jasmine called as her points-bar fell. "High Jump Kick!"

Medicham attempted to clear the mud from its eyes before jumping up and soaring towards Finny; Finny ducked, and Medicham crashed into the ground.

"Medicham kept going and crashed!" the MC yelled excitedly.

"Aqua Jet!" Cassandra yelled.

"Vacuum Wave!"

Medicham turned and spread its arms; a strange rush of air hit Finny, and he tumbled backwards. The point-bar edged downward.

For some reason, this really made Finny angry. He got up on all fours and bellowed; and then he began to glow.

"What?" the MC cried. "What's going on? Oh—the Marshtomp is evolving!"

Cassandra grinned hugely as Finny's shape changed; he grew larger, more hulking, and the fin on his head broadened. He stood up on his hind legs as the light faded away, revealing a dark-blue, intimidating Swampert that towered over Medicham.

Finny bellowed and let loose a huge stream of water that mingled with the mud in the ground; he slammed his fins down, and the mix rose and covered Medicham completely.

Medicham fell back in the tidal wave of Muddy Water. Jasmine's points-bar pushed dangerously low, and she seemed to be desperate. "Medicham, use Drain Punch!"

Medicham's fist began to glow, and he moved quickly, but his move missed Finny by inches. Instead, he tripped over a small mound of mud and landed with a _splat_ on his face.

Jasmine's points-bar was now nonexistent. Cassandra felt a little bad for her—tripping face-first into mud was about the least graceful thing anyone could do.

"Miss Asir's points are down to zero! Cassandra Étoile wins the Fallarbor Town Super Rank Contest!"

"Yes!" Cassandra yelled, punching the air. She hadn't even had to let her hair out of its bun—Finny's skill (or perhaps Medicham's lack of grace) had won it for her.

* * *

**To: **dingdongbelle, thompson_alyssa

**From: **dancing_through_life

**Subject:** I WON!

* * *

You guys, I WON MY CONTEST I WON MY CONTEST I WON MY CONTEST YAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY!

Sorry I can't write more, but I've got to hurry and pack up…the Slateport City contest is NEXT WEEK (o.0), and I need to get there soon enough to start my training!

Love,

Cassandra XD

* * *

_Okay...I'm really sorry everybody, but I can't give personal thanks this time...I'm really sorry. =(_

_Please keep reviewing, though, because I PROMISE I still love you!_


	45. Chapter 44

Belle waited until after Derek had gone to bed to ask her mother. She passed by the newly-finished living room and the work-in-progress kitchen, heading down the small hallway that led to the master bedroom.

Belle could see a dull light flickering from the crack beneath the door. She hesitated for just a moment, hypnotized by the light, before raising her fist and softly hitting the door with her knuckles. There was only a moment's pause before a calm, smooth voice spoke.

"Enter."

Belle knew that voice. Before she even pushed open the door, she knew her mother was meditating—and she was right. Terra's bedroom was large, and so she had made an open space sizeable enough for her to meditate. She knelt in the center of a large, round mat, and candles sat in small trays around the circumference. Terra usually wore a kimono when she meditated, and tonight was no different—made of pure silk and brilliantly patterned with green, blue, and pink, it cascaded around her, making it impossible to make out the shape of her legs. Her long black hair was smooth and shiny, held back from her face with two combs that had delicate pink flower ornaments on them. As Belle walked in, she opened her eyes and smiled serenely.

"My daughter," she said, raising her arms to greet her. "Come. Sit. You have come to ask me a question."

Being from Ecruteak City, Terra was highly spiritual. Meditating often took her to what she described as a "higher plane of being", making her sound like a wise elder of a village. Belle was used to her mother having different modes—_Normal Mom _and _Meditating Mom_.

"I have prepared tea," Terra continued as Belle shut the door behind her. She picked up a teapot that had been sitting beside her and poured steaming tea into a small cup, which she carefully handed to Belle as she knelt on a small, square pillow. "I can see from your eyes that we have much to discuss."

Belle nodded, taking a sip of the hot tea. "I need to ask you about something you said a few days ago."

Terra gazed at Belle over the rim of her own cup of tea.

"Something you said…about Dad."

Her gaze didn't waver.

"About…a _disappearing act_."

Silence. Terra appeared frozen in time; Belle would have thought her a statue if her eyes didn't glimmer so perceptively above the cup.

"What did you mean? What disappearing act did Dad pull?"

Terra lowered the cup and set it on her tea tray. She lowered her hands to rest daintily on her lap, only her fingertips visible beyond the smooth silk of her kimono's sleeves. Belle felt a jolt in her stomach. Terra was an amazing storyteller, especially in her meditative state.

Terra didn't move for a few moments. Her head was bowed, her eyes were closed; she didn't even appear to be breathing. The candles flickered; light danced across the room, warping Belle's sense of reality as they caused Terra's features to shift.

And then Terra's eyes opened and locked onto Belle's, and the story began.

* * *

We met, as you know, in Violet City, both of us on our way to Ecruteak—for me, it was a triumphant return, a chance to show my glory before moving on. And for him, it was another gym battle.

Of course, there were a few complications…we both discovered that we might not be ready to take on a Ghost-type Gym, and so we changed our minds. Instead of going straight to Ecruteak, we headed to Azalea Town to take on the Gym Leader there. Ultimately, we decided, we would end up in Ecruteak City, would we not? And Ecruteak was not even a final destination; it was simply a stepping-stone. I think that we knew of our attraction for each other, and thus decided to prolong our journey together before we had to introduce him to my family…or perhaps it was coincidence. I have no way of knowing.

So we journeyed…we laughed at our foolishness for wanting to take on the Ecruteak City Gym. After all, both of us had just started out in the Johto Region. We prided ourselves after that for not making foolhardy mistakes that would have crippled other, lesser trainers. We went through Azalea Town, and then Goldenrod City, where we stayed for quite some time. We even participated in a few Bug-Catching Contests in National Park…and then, we could delay no longer. We went to Ecruteak City.

It was nighttime when we arrived…one of my favorite times in the city. There is something so very _spiritual_ about gazing at the form of Bell Tower in the dark. By then, there was no uncertainty about our feelings for each other; though not quite spoken aloud, we knew we were beyond the normal realm of _friends_. I invited him to stay the night in my home. Like a gentleman, he declined, though my mother and father had no trepidations.

We stayed for a few days…I showed him around the city, the place where I grew up. I showed him all that had been important to me as a child. I introduced him to the Gym Leader even before he battled him. I watched them have quite an engaging conversation…one of ghosts, souls, and death. For me, it was a normal subject—the question of the soul's passage through birth, life, and death is one often asked in Ecruteak.

The night Daniel defeated the Gym Leader, I went to see him at the PokéCenter. He seemed withdrawn. I apologized to him—I had been unable to attend his battle, as he had picked the day I was to spend meditating with my family. He assured me everything was all right.

"It wasn't a big deal," he said, shifting a bit in his seat. "Just another gym battle, y'know?"

"How did you do against the ghosts?" I asked him, leaning forward. I was always eager to hear him talk—he was an amazing storyteller. I suppose he and I had that in common.

He shrugged. "Just another gym battle."

I frowned. This wasn't like him; he loved to share all the details of his exploits with me, even if I had been there in the first place. I wasn't sure how to react. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Why?" He turned away, then, picking up the Poké Ball that I knew held Venosaur—it had a special sticker on it. It was a gold star, and it was smooth and shiny, not crinkled and faded as I am sure you remember it…by the time you were born, it was hardly recognizable. He smoothed it over with his fingers.

"You seem…distant. And you usually fiddle with Venosaur's Poké Ball when you're upset."

At this, he put the Ball down and smiled at me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I'm just tired, Terra. I need some sleep. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, when we set off for Olivine."

I smiled back. "Okay. I'll come and meet you tomorrow morning."

We shared a brief hug, and I went home. Before I went to bed, I meditated, and I observed a troubling vision—I saw Daniel's back, walking down a path with grass and trees on either side of him. Everything else was misty and white. I called out to him, but he paid me no heed. As I watched, he opened a wooden door and entered, shutting the door behind him. I called out to him again. I ran to the door…but it had disappeared.

Uneasy, I spoke of it to my mother. She seemed concerned and advised me to go to the PokéCenter earlier than I had originally planned.

"How early?" I asked.

"Even before the sun rises," she answered; and so I did. Though it was still dark, I packed up my things and went to the PokéCenter.

Daniel was not there.

Nurse Joy was not at the counter, and only one or two other trainers slumbered nearby. I left the Center and the town, hoping to catch him on his way to Olivine.

Fog rolled in within seconds; I sent out Amaterasu, who then was only a Flaaffy, to provide me with light as I went. As I ran, I noticed trees on either side of the path and knew that this was the path from my vision—Route 38, the way to Olivine City.

Daniel loomed out of the fog soon; I saw his retreating back. "Daniel!" I called, speeding up, but he did not hear; he turned and knocked on a door, which opened. He talked to someone for a moment before entering.

I was unable to catch him before he went through the door. The fog then became too thick for me to continue; even Amaterasu's light was not strong enough to penetrate it. I made my way to some trees to wait out the fog…when it thinned enough for travel, I realized that I was not alone. A Heracross stood not five feet away, watching me intently. Unnerved, I stood and made my way along the path.

Moomoo Farm had been where Daniel had stopped off. I made my way there and knocked insistently upon the door—a sleepy-looking woman answered, and I inquired about Daniel. She told me that he had left almost as soon as he had arrived, that he had only stopped to buy Moomoo Milk. Irritated that I had woken her, she told me that I needed to either buy some milk myself or go. I apologized and turned to leave.

"Hey—is that your Heracross?" she demanded, stopping me. I looked over to see the Heracross from before sitting on the fence of the Miltank pasture, watching me.

"No, ma'am," I replied.

"He's been hanging around here, bothering the Miltank," she told me. "You'd be doin' me a huge favor if you caught him."

The funny look on its face and the way it sat so brazenly on the fence, as though daring the woman to do something about it, reminded me painfully of Daniel. So, to make up for the fact that I had woken this poor woman up, I engaged it in a battle; it had obviously learned a few maneuvers on its own in the wild. It evaded many of Amaterasu's attacks quite effectively. Throughout our battle, he seemed to be laughing and enjoying himself. In the end, he ceased battling on his own and seemed to ask me to throw a Poké Ball at him…I caught him. I named him Danny.

A month later, I caught up to Daniel in Cianwood City, training with Chuck, the Gym Leader. I was entering the gym to engage Chuck in battle; Daniel had been there for a few weeks. He admitted to getting lost among the Whirl Islands for quite some time. When I entered, he froze and stared at me. I stared back, and all at the same time I was delighted and frightened to see him. I was sure I did not look quite as he remembered…I had been training much more thoroughly, and so I had a bit of muscle now. My skin was tanned, my hair was longer, and I had discovered my love for bandanas, so I was wearing one then. Most of my Pokémon had reached their final evolutions, and I am sure he would have been surprised to see any of them—but it was Danny I had with me that day. I wasn't going to use him in the battle against Chuck, of course…no, it was Skarmory I had been planning for that. Daniel was surprised to see the new addition to my team.

"This the girl?" Chuck asked, breaking the silence between us. He grunted appreciatively. "She seems like the type to understand, eh, Sam?"

_Sam_. Daniel's middle name was Samson, and he hated that name. Why would he go by it now?

Daniel simply nodded meekly. He stared at me as though he couldn't believe his eyes. It seemed to me as though the rest of the world melted away…I could see only him.

"Why did you leave me?" The words were out before I knew what I was saying. I felt myself trembling and I knew tears would come soon. I tried to prolong these tears' arrival; I wished to speak coherently.

"I…discovered some things. Some things I couldn't share with you, some things you wouldn't understand."

His voice…it sounded the same. I remember being shocked at the discovery. "What things would I not understand?"

"I talked to the Gym Leader for a long time after the battle," he said. "I found out many things about life and death…Pokémon…I didn't want to share that burden with you. I didn't want to tell you the story I had heard, the story of the Gym Leader's first Pokémon…_dying_…to think of Pokémon dying is horrible enough without forcing the knowledge on others…"

"That is ridiculous." My voice was sharp now. "I grew up in Ecruteak City. We are deeply connected to Pokémon, to their lives, their souls. The city is full of spiritual understanding. Did you think I had not heard the story of the Gym Leader's first Pokémon dying? He tells that story almost every year at the festival. Of course I know that Pokémon _die_, Daniel, did you think I was that naïve? You've just told me that you left me for _nothing_. And why didn't you come to me? Why didn't you tell me about your pain?"

"I didn't want to burden you!"

"It's not a _burden_, you idiot, not when you _love_ someone! God, are you so dumb that—"

"What?" he interrupted, taking a step forward. "What did you say?"

"I said—" I froze as what I said dawned on me. Inadvertently, I had just admitted my love to him. "Nothing."

"You said you loved me."

"No—"

"Terra." He took a step forward, extending his hand toward me. "I didn't realize…I didn't know that…you felt…that way."

"I—I just—" I felt stupid for having told him that I loved him. I didn't want him to know that, all this time, I had been pining away for him, thinking of him every waking second and dreaming of him when I slept.

"Terra…I love you, too." He smiled a bit sheepishly. "That's why I…I didn't want to burden you. I…I'm sorry for leaving. I thought I had to."

"Well…from now on," I blustered angrily, "share your burden, okay?" I softened a bit. "My mother always says that a large pot of water is too much for one person to carry, but when two lift together, it becomes lighter for both."

He smiled as he took a step toward me, reaching out. "I'm so sorry. I'll remember that."

* * *

"And so we kissed," Terra said calmly, a smile spreading across her face. "It was our first. And as his lips touched mine, I felt whole again…"

Belle didn't say anything. Her cup was empty and cold in her hands. She stared at the bottom, the candlelight flickering around her. "But he didn't really disappear," she said finally. "You knew he was leaving."

"But it was still quite a shock," Terra replied. "And he did disappear…he slipped into the fog, leaving me behind." She heaved a sigh that seemed full of a deep sorrow. "There is a reason you asked me this."

It wasn't a question. Belle looked up and met Terra's penetrating gaze. "I…am my father's daughter."

Terra nodded in understanding. "You have pulled your own disappearing act…on Derrick."

"Yes. It's…different."

"Not completely."

"No." Belle sighed, dropping her eyes. "Actually, it's…the same. The reason, anyway. The situation, maybe not."

"You do not wish to disclose the story now." Again, it wasn't a question. Terra had a way of knowing things in this state.

"Soon," Belle said. "But…not now. Maybe when you're not in a meditative state. I'd rather talk to Normal Mom about this…not Infinitely Wise Mom."

Terra let out a small, quiet laugh. "You feel more on equal ground when I do not speak as I am speaking now."

"Yeah, I guess." Belle smiled. "Well…good night, Mom. I'm going to bed."

"Good night, my daughter. Think on your actions, and dream of solutions."

Belle bent and planted a kiss on her mother's forehead before she left the room. _I truly am my father's daughter,_ she thought. _I couldn't ever be as wise as Mom._

_

* * *

_

**To:** thompson_alyssa, dancing_through_life

**From:** dingdongbellepoké

**Subject:** Staying.

* * *

Well guys, I'm not sure how long I'm staying.

I know I'm not trained up enough to beat my mom yet…her first Pokémon is a force of nature…plus I like being around Derek again…he's really fun…it's like being home…wonder how many of these dot-dot-dot things I can make before you guys get annoyed…

Anyway, I know the big 17 is coming up for you, Alyssa, and I'm thinking of sending you a biiiiiiig present! Actually, I'm just going to say happy birthday, because I have no idea what to get you. xp Any ideas, Cassandra? XD

My mom just told me a big story about how Dad left her in the middle of the journey…it's weird how familiar that story is, and how like my dad I really am. Huh.

Well, I'm super tired, so I'm gonna go to bed. I really need to get training tomorrow!

Love,

Belle

* * *

_Hey guys! I think regular postings might be making a comeback now that I have weekly access to Internet, so...yay! And now for reviewer thank-you time!_

_**Mo12341234 **(Yay for being too lazy to log in!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(Yeah, Sakura's icky, and I'll make her pay soon.)_

_**hawkfire111 **(XD)_

_**Oceanfur **(Wow! ...*blush* Thank you...thank you very much!)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(I'm sure she'd thank you! 'Cuz I wrote her, so I know.)_

_**HeleneAlexandra **(Thanks! I'm looking forward to your next review!)_


	46. Chapter 45

"How—what—?" Cassandra was dumbfounded. One second she had been sitting sidesaddle atop a Ponyta, and the next—boom! Ellia had evolved into a Rapidash. Sure, the journey through Route 111's desert had been harsh, and they hadn't had time to stop in Mauville City to talk to the mob of people excited about her appearance or to bathe and rest, but how exactly did that promote an evolution?

"Perfect," Karen said from her place on Fluffy's back. She adjusted her sleeves. "Just in time to enter Slateport City. It's about time," she added to Ellia, tossing Cassandra a brush. "I thought I was going to have to buy a Fire Stone and force you myself."

Ellia tossed her beautiful head in annoyance, nickering, and Cassandra ran the brush through her hair. "You know, I'd really like it if you'd clue me in to what you're talking about."

"Ellia was ready to evolve when you caught her," Karen replied. "She's been holding out on you."

"What for?"

"Deciding if you could handle it."

"And I suppose I proved myself?"

"By going through the desert," Karen said. "Now hurry up, we need to get into Slateport!"

Heart beating, Cassandra straightened her back and smiled serenely like Karen had taught her, practicing for when she made her entrance. Ellia walked at a brisk pace up the path, and the sound of cyclists whizzing overhead soon died away as the bustling city of Slateport came into view.

The smell of sea salt almost assaulted Cassandra as she breathed in deeply. She had been here before, of course, with her parents, but it seemed more exciting now that she was on her own and a star. "Let's go straight to the Slateport Contest Hall to register," Cassandra told Karen, who agreed quickly.

It seemed that Cassandra attracted attention as soon as Ellia's hooves hit Slateport's walkways. Heads turned and people whispered and pointed; she heard her name multiple times.

"I didn't know she had a _Rapidash_," she heard someone say as Ellia trotted past. Cassandra felt giddy. She knew she had to start training, but she also knew she wouldn't be able to resist browsing the marketplace before she got started. She glanced up at the contest hall, which was larger than Verdanturf's and Fallarbor's combined; understandable, since this was where most contests really got televised. She slid gently from Ellia's back and adjusted her white skirt as she got to the door, which slid open automatically to allow her to enter.

Slateport City Contest Hall was a lively, bustling place. A long line of people Cassandra vaguely recognized from Verdanturf or Fallarbor stood at the registration desk—Sakura Konohana was not in their number.

In her search for Sakura, Cassandra hadn't noticed anything odd, but now that she turned her attention back to the general public, she realized that everyone in the lobby had frozen as she entered. Even the people in line for registration had turned to look at her.

"Hello?" Cassandra said hesitantly. And then a flurry of activity ensued—people leapt up and rushed to her, seizing her hands and pushing closer to her, asking for autographs and pictures, asking about Ellia, shouting and yelling and shoving.

But then Karen was in front of her with Tuffly, both of them spreading their arms wide. Tuffly used Doubleslap on a few persistent people, and the warning made everyone stay back, forming a circle around the confused Cassandra.

"What—?" Her question didn't have time to form on her lips; Karen seized her hand and dragged her forward, shouting about making a hole as she plodded toward the registration counter. The crowd parted a bit as they neared it; Ellia reared, kicking her hooves, and the crowd parted a lot.

Cassandra signed up for the soonest date—next week—and turned to look at the mass of adoring fans, who now seemed to be taking pictures.

She was _famous_.

* * *

The crowds roared as Cassandra rode into the stadium (which was _much_ larger than Verdanturf's or Fallarbor's combined) on Ellia's back. Her heart raced as she gazed up into the sea of adoring fans. Some held up signs emblazoned with clever—sometimes rhyming—slogans showing their support and love for _her_, Cassandra Étoile, the girl who was, not too long ago, just another kid dancing in her backyard. She had been rich, yes, but plenty of kids were rich—Sakura Konohana, for instance.

Cassandra picked out Karen's bright pink hair among the many heads in the crowd. The girl had picked out the white floppy straw hat that now sat upon Cassandra's head, its pink ribbon trailing over the brim behind her. Cassandra had protested it at first, but once she had placed it on her head and stood in the mirror wearing the gauzy white dress on which she had decided, she had realized that it completed her "Mother Nature" look.

Ellia tossed her head, and Cassandra smiled and waved out at the crowd, who cheered loudly. The stadium floor was suspended over water, which Ellia eyed warily; she stood straight and proud, though, calming under Cassandra's soothing pat. The girl slid gently off Ellia's back, her bare feet touching the floor.

"Welcome to the first round of the Slateport City Hyper Rank Contest!"

Cassandra's smile widened; the crowd roared. She had actually been severely happy that she had drawn the first slot, and now she stood across from her opponent, one Melba Wisely, dressed in a black corset-top with red sleeves and a long black skirt, her long dark hair falling down around her face. She seemed irritated.

"Let the first match between Cassandra Étoile—"—the crowd yelled wildly—"and Melba Wisely—"—another part of the crowd cheered—"begin!"

"Okay, Ellia!" Cassandra yelled, pointing towards the stadium; Ellia galloped out, rearing and pawing at the air, shaking her mane—embers flew from her and landed in the water, fizzling slightly.

"Are you serious?" Melba asked in a flat tone. She didn't look too happy. As Cassandra watched, she tossed her Poké Ball with a sort of graceful awkwardness, and a Sneasel spun out of it.

"And Ms. Wisely chooses her Sneasel. Looks like Ms. Étoile has a type advantage!"

Of course, Cassandra made short work of Melba's Sneasel—a bit of speed and a well-placed Flamethrower took it right out.

Cassandra's second battle was against a male Coordinator, which surprised Cassandra; she had come up against so many girls, she had quite forgotten that men competed at all, let alone competed at Hyper Rank. He had a sort of ninja-martial-arts-guy theme going, and his Hitmontop was a formidable opponent, but Ellia ran circles around it to dizzy it before taking it out with Stomp, which turned out to be more graceful than anyone thought it could be.

Karen met Cassandra her small lounge—the Hyper Rank accommodations were impeccable—before the final match, Tuffly in tow. She sat down on the fluffy pink couch and studied the large television showing the current battle, her arms folded across her chest.

"You need to watch out for her," Karen said, pointing at the screen. "If she wins this battle, she's against you—she's another favorite."

Cassandra picked up the packet of papers to her left. Each Coordinator had been given a page-long profile of the other Coordinators competing in the contest; Cassandra flipped through until she found the picture of the girl to which Karen was pointing.

The picture looked a bit different from the girl on the television—while the television version was moving, dynamic, yelling, her blonde hair flying as she twirled in time with her Pokémon—a Dragonair—the picture version gazed up at Cassandra calmly, a determined smile hitched about her lips. Her name was Laura Evans, and she was from Blackthorn City in Johto. Her picture was one of the few that wasn't a snapshot from a contest. In fact, Cassandra's profile picture was from her Verdanturf Contest, and Swablu was in it.

"She's from Johto?" Cassandra looked back up at the screen, mouth open.

"People who come from other regions often do better than Hoenn natives," Karen replied. "They're more determined."

Cassandra nodded. "I see."

"Swablu is close to evolving," Karen remarked, changing the subject. "I think she'll be an Altaria before we get to Lilycove. That's what you wanted, right? To win your last contest with Altaria?"

She smiled. "Yes." She loved the way Karen had put it—to _win_ your last contest with Altaria. Not to _compete in_ your last contest with Altaria. Because she was going to win. It didn't matter that competitors from other regions seemed more determined—Cassandra was determined enough to be all the way from Almia.

Cassandra's moments leading up to her final battle were blurry, so it seemed as though she jolted awake standing across the stadium from Laura Evans and her Dragonair.

The MC's shouts were indistinct to Cassandra's ears, and the only word she heard was the last one—"Begin!"

"Go, Ellia!"

"Dragon Dance!" shouted Laura; her Dragonair twisted its long body in a graceful dance, wasting precious seconds. Her points bar went up for the dance, but Cassandra had other plans for it.

"Ellia, Flame Wheel!"

Ellia wrapped herself in flames and smashed into Dragonair so quickly it didn't know what hit it; it went flying backwards, landing in a crumpled heap at Laura's feet.

"That was a nasty first hit!" the MC boomed over the crowd's boos and cheers. "And Miss Étoile's points surge up, while Miss Evans's fall back!"

Cassandra met Laura's eyes across the battlefield as Dragonair rose up. This was going to be a quick battle, that was for sure, but both of them had an equal chance of winning. Quick but intense—that was how Cassandra liked it.

"Dragon Rush," Laura said, and Dragonair rose up. A blue aura surrounded it, and a big ball of blue light came quickly toward Ellia, Dragonair in the center.

"Agility!" Cassandra yelled, and Ellia took off in a red-and-white blur, zooming around behind Dragonair and leaving a trail of small flames. "Fire Spin!"

Dragonair's blue light was extinguished in a fiery vortex, which trapped it. It spun helplessly, crying out as the flames singed its skin.

"And Dragonair is trapped by Ellia's Fire Spin!" the MC cried excitedly. "Laura's points have taken a _huge_ hit, and Dragonair might not be able to last much longer!"

Cassandra grinned as she locked eyes with Laura again. She basically had this in the bag.

"Dragonair," Laura said quietly. "Twister."

Out of the top of the swirling vortex of fire burst a tornado, which swallowed the blaze whole, disbanding it. It bent to capture Ellia in its heart, lifting her off the ground and suspending her in air, spinning rather quickly.

How was she going to get out of this? Cassandra needed to think quickly; she didn't have much time. Right now, Ellia was at Dragonair's mercy; one twitch could send her flying into the water below. She couldn't use any direct or physical attacks…a ranged attack would have to do.

The MC was in the middle of saying, "How will Miss Étoile get out of this one?" when Cassandra yelled, "Fire Blast!"

Dragonair was directly under the Twister, since it came from its mouth; Ellia's attack dropped straight from the bottom, stopping the tornado and swallowing Dragonair within it. Ellia tipped forward and landed all four hooves on Dragonair's body before springing away, embers flying off her mane. Cassandra's points bar pushed forward.

"Dragonair, into the water!"

_"Nair!"_ the Pokémon cried, and it vanished into the water, extinguishing the flames. Steam rose from where it landed.

Ellia froze. Silence descended on the stadium; not even the MC spoke. "Careful," Cassandra whispered. "You don't know where it's coming from; stay alert."

The Rapidash nickered, backing up a few steps and glancing around. The silence continued for several still seconds; no one seemed to be breathing.

"Now! Aqua Tail!" Laura yelled suddenly. Dragonair sprang out of the water, bringing its tail down in a mighty smash; as the water flew toward Ellia, Dragonair went towards the battlefield, coiling itself for another attack.

"_Jump_!" Cassandra yelled shrilly.

Ellia leapt up, soaring over the water meant for her.

"Megahorn!"

The water splashed harmlessly behind her as Ellia ducked her head, flying straight toward Dragonair and piercing it with her horn. Dragonair collapsed and Ellia sprang away, its mane and tail flaring up in the breeze as it landed gently, glaring at Dragonair.

Laura's points vanished completely.

"And that's it!" the MC yelled. "Miss Evans has no more points—Cassandra Étoile is advancing to the Master Rank in Lilycove City!"

A camera zoomed towards Cassandra's face as she smiled happily, closing her eyes and throwing back her head, thrusting her arms in the air. The crowd roared; flowers fell all around her.

Sakura Konohana hadn't hindered her one bit. She was going to Lilycove; she was competing in the Master Rank. She might even meet Sakura there.

And she would win.

* * *

Cassandra sat down in front of the video phone in her hotel room, watching the static roll across the screen as it rang. Karen was off somewhere in Slateport—where, Cassandra didn't know—so she was alone, thank goodness. She had been assaulted by people shoving microphones in her face, and she had talked to so many people she was extremely happy to be by herself with just her Pokémon.

But now she had to call Joanna.

As usual, Dorothia the cook answered the phone. "Cassandra!" she cried happily. "I saw your contest on TV!"

"Really? It's already been on?"

"They're broadcast live," Dorothia replied. "So, did you want to talk to your mother?"

"I don't _want_ to, but it's a necessary evil," Cassandra replied.

Dorothia laughed. "I'll transfer you."

There was more static, but only briefly, and then Joanna's face appeared, her bedroom in the background. She took a sip from the wine glass she held and smiled.

"I saw your contest, Cassie," Joanna told her.

"Hello, Mother."

"You aren't doing as bad as I expected. I assume that you'll be doing the soonest Master Rank contest?"

"Yes." Cassandra felt her back teeth grind together.

"I think I might come out and watch," Joanna said. She took another sip of wine. "That will be something to see…my daughter finally making something of herself. Imagine how proud I'll be when you finally win."

Cassandra bit back a sharp retort. Instead, she asked, "Is Father home?"

"He's in the bathroom. I expect he'll want to talk to you, so you should stay on the line."

Cassandra nodded and fell silent. She didn't have to say anything to Joanna if she didn't want to. Silence stretched between them, in which Joanna glanced away and drank her wine.

The door in the background opened and Gerald came out, wearing a dress shirt and slacks. When he saw Cassandra's face on the video phone, he broke out in a huge grin and hurried over.

"Sandy-bear! Joanna, sweetie, why didn't you tell me she called?"

"Hi, Dad!"

"You can see for yourself, can't you?" Joanna asked, placing her wine glass out of frame.

"Sandy-bear, I saw your contest," Gerald said, bending down and almost pushing Joanna out of the picture. "You were magnificent!"

"Thanks, Dad."

"No, truly! I am so proud of you! And you're going to the Master Rank in Lilycove—that's a huge deal!"

"I was telling her we might go watch," Joanna said stiffly from her corner of the screen.

"Well, of course we'll go!" Gerald said happily, clapping Joanna on the shoulder. "There's no reason we shouldn't! We need to cheer our daughter on, right, _Mama J_?"

Joanna cringed visibly. She didn't need to answer, because just then Karen came into the room, tossing her pink umbrella onto the bed. Tuffly came behind her with shopping bags.

"I should probably go," Cassandra said. "I need to rest, and then it's on to Lilycove City! See you guys there?"

"Perhaps," Joanna replied at the same time Gerald boomed "Of course, Sandy-bear!"

Cassandra said her good-byes and hung up, smiling as she turned to Karen, who began to immediately pull different types of material from the shopping bags, followed by a sewing machine. "I'm going to make your Master Rank dress," she said.

Cassandra stood and crossed the room, wrapping her arms around the girl in a hug. "Thank you," she said. "I couldn't have done all this without you."

Karen batted her away. "You haven't won it all yet. Thank me then."

Cassandra smiled and nodded. "Right."

* * *

**To:** dingdongbelle, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** WINNING!

* * *

OMG YOU GUYS!

I totally won my Slateport contest!

Alyssa, I'm sorry you hate that woman or girl or whoever she is, but I'm sure you can give her a nice good punch in the jaw and she'll behave.

Belle, you can beat your mom, I HAVE FAITH IN YOU!

I WON MY CONTEST YAAAAYYYY! XD I'm so excited!

I have to get to bed now, because tomorrow it's off to Lilycove City and then tons of training so Swablu can evolve into Altaria before the contest!

Did you know that so few people enter the Master Rank Contest that I'll only be fighting two battles? o.0 And it's broadcast live, so YOU WILL HAVE TO WATCH IT!

Talk to you guys laaatteeerrr!

Love,

Cassandra XD

* * *

_Yaaay, Cassandra's Slateport contest is finally up!_

_Well, now it's time to thank my totally awesome reviewers!_

_**Oceanfur **(Well, I'm glad that I could shine a beacon into your life! That makes me feel important!)_

_**Ralyena Starrling **(You know, I really like you. ...sorry for the random outbreak of affection there. I just think it's awesome that you review, like, every chapter. ^_^)_

_**readingQueen **(I can't tell you the answer to the riddle! And thanks for your Pokemon contest praise...I always thought those were my weak points. XD)_


	47. Chapter 46

Alyssa stirred, groaning as she rolled over on her stomach. Ziggy squeaked indignantly and scooted out of her way.

The Styler sitting on her nightstand kept shrieking at her, beeping loudly for her to answer, which was something Alyssa was not in the mood to do. She grabbed at it; it tumbled into the floor.

Finally, Alyssa sat up and scooped the offending thing up, mashing a button. "This is Alyssa."

"Thompson!" Mr. McFayer's voice practically shouted through the Styler. Alyssa dropped it in surprise, and he continued yelling from a fold in her comforter. "Meeting, briefing room, _now_!"

"Yes, sir!" Alyssa yelled back as she heard the click that signified that Mr. McFayer had hung up. She got up and began searching frantically for her uniform. She had been so angry last night, she had just thrown it willy-nilly into her room; it was causing problems for her now.

She was stepping into the leotard when her front door banged open. "Alyssa!" Ian called, his footsteps advancing quickly across her living room.

"No!" Alyssa called, trying to pull on her leotard. Why was it behaving so badly? "Ian, don't come in—"

Too late. Her bedroom door swung open; Alyssa's leotard was still hanging from the front of her body. Time froze; neither of them knew what to do. After what seemed like hours, Alyssa threw her arms over her breasts as red appeared along Ian's cheeks, spreading to his entire face. And then they both began speaking at once.

"_Knock_ before you—"

"I should've—"

"This wouldn't have happened—"

"—my fault—"

"—need to get dressed!—"

"I'll wait outside!" Ian hurriedly shut the door; she heard him cross the living room to let himself out and wait in the hallway.

Alyssa's fingers fumbled with the rest of her uniform; she slapped her Styler onto her wrist and got Ziggy out of the bed. When she went out to join Ian and Prinplup, Ian was staring fixedly at his shoes.

"Emergency meeting," he mumbled. "Came to get you."

"Got the notice on my Styler," Alyssa told him, equally embarrassed. She turned and led the way down the hall toward the briefing room.

"Sorry," Ian said from behind her.

"It's okay."

They said nothing after that.

* * *

The briefing room was almost familiar to Alyssa now—the darkness of the giant computer screens didn't bother her as much. Mr. McFayer already had a map of Almia open on the floor beneath their feet, and the entire team stood on it, looking down at it—all except Karri, who was examining her ghostly reflection.

"Finally," Mr. McFayer said gruffly. "We got a call from our Operator in charge of observation—Mr. Rayman?"

Mr. Rayman nodded and addressed the team. "Galactic has been increasing their workload," he said. "They're bringing in more and more Pokémon to skin by the day. This makes it imperative for us to act much more quickly than previously planned. Computer, open folder 'factory pictures'."

Alyssa tried not to flinch away from the pictures that sprang onto the screen; the piles of Water Pokémon in front of the Machoke and Zangoose were twice as high as they had been.

"Tomorrow morning they're getting a shipment of equipment that will allow them to catch Pokémon that live on the seafloor," Mr. Rayman said. "That is our chance."

"_Tomorrow_?" Karri asked incredulously.

"Tomorrow," Mr. McFayer told her in a tone that suggested she shouldn't interrupt.

"We just need to get the uniforms—Keith and I will pose as the workmen, and the rest of you will hide in the truck. Getting in won't be a problem…it's shutting them down that will. Computer, factory layout, floor screen."

The factory blueprints spread out beneath them. Mr. McFayer pointed. "They have guards posted at every entrance now, and they'll be expecting the equipment guys to stay in the warehouse. We need to start infiltration at shift change, and we need to _quietly_ incapacitate the guards that they send to oversee unloading. Once we've done that, we're in.

"The Operator will be inside the truck. Since she already has access to the factory's security cameras, it will be simple for her to feed them a loop that makes it seem as though we don't exist. Keith and I will head here—" He pointed to what looked like an office on the blueprint. "This is the head honcho's main office. We get him, the entire factory folds beneath him. Meanwhile, Team Two and Three will be heading to get the other officers from the lounge and going to rescue the Pokémon, respectively. Team Two will be Little Danes and Thompson—"—Alyssa grinned at Jean, who smiled eagerly back—"and Team Three will be Walton, Rayman, and Danes." He traced a route from the warehouse to the officers' lounge for Alyssa and Jean to see, and then one from the warehouse to the main factory. "You'll be downloading the blueprints to your Stylers, though, because there will be no room for error. Once we've arrested the main supervisor and the officers, they'll order the rest of the workers to come quietly and we're home free—we'll load 'em up in the truck and head back to the Ranger Union. It should be nice and smooth."

"How are we gonna get the truck?" Keith asked.

"We'll hijack the actual equipment truck," Mr. Rayman replied. "It won't be too hard—we'll just say it's Ranger business. I'll have our uniforms by then, so we won't need to take theirs. It won't be hard to set up shop inside it, either."

Alyssa felt a jittery feeling shoot up her spine; little bumps rose on her arms, and her heart started beating quickly. The mission was close at hand. She was _excited_.

* * *

Alyssa adjusted the gray-blue cap on her head. They all had to wear the shipment workers' uniforms—if they got stopped and questioned by a Galactic member, they only had to say that they were lost. She sat wedged between Ian and Jean, listening as Casey—her former Ranger School roommate—briefed them on how to use the earpieces they were to use during the operation. The surveillance equipment took up almost the full side of the truck, and all the fishing equipment for Team Galactic's factory was shoved against the door. There was plenty of room, but the engine's rumbling made it impossible to hear Casey's voice unless you were almost within kissing distance; the girl was holding up beautifully, though.

Casey had changed since Alyssa had last seen her. The set of her mouth was firmer, less prone to smiling. Her voice had taken on an authoritative quality, and the ringlets falling on either side of her face seemed less whimsical, the bun at the back of her head tighter. Everything about her seemed organized, even the male Luxray she kept with her for protection. She had been thrilled, however, at seeing Alyssa, and had slipped back to her old self for just an instant when she greeted her.

Finally, Alyssa put the earpiece in and heard Casey loud and clear through it.

"Now, I won't be able to hear you," Casey told them. "But you can all hear me, and you'll be able to hear each other. Danes!" she snapped; Jean jumped, but Karri looked over at her lazily. "Are you listening?"

"Yes!" Jean said.

"No, the other Danes."

"Yeah, I'm listening," Karri told her. "I know how to work this thing, okay? I'm _fine_." She pulled the thing out of her ear and moved away from them.

Casey rolled her eyes. "That's it, I guess. Alyssa, I'd love to talk to you," she added, "but I have a million things to do on these computers—"

"No problem," Alyssa told her hurriedly. "I understand. It's an important mission." She grinned. "We'll catch up when it's over."

Casey nodded and turned back to her complicated-looking screens and buttons; Alyssa sidled away and sat back against the wall. Ian sat beside her.

They all rode in silence for a while. After a while, Ian mumbled, "When I walked into your room yesterday…what I saw…well, it was…nice."

She felt her ears get hot. "Don't."

"Okay."

Suddenly, Jean let out a terrified wail. Everyone scrambled to look at her; she seemed fine, except that she was clutching the sides of her face and staring at Exis, whose eyes were glowing blue.

"Fire!" Jean screamed, her fingernails digging into her cheeks. "Burning, everything's burning, no, no, _don't go in_!" Her voice rose in pitch and volume. "Don't go in, you'll burn, YOU'LL BURN!" She let loose a bloodcurdling scream.

Mr. McFayer was in front of her at once; he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, but she continued shrieking at the top of her lungs. Most of it was incoherent, but they heard occasional things like "BURNING!" and "DON'T GO BACK!" Finally, her gaze broke from Exis's and she began sobbing, collapsing against Mr. McFayer's chest and covering her face.

As they watched, Jean sat up slightly and wiped away her tears as Mr. McFayer muttered to her quietly; she replied just as quietly, so that no one heard their conversation. Mr. McFayer's stern expression flickered for an instant, but it was so quick that Alyssa was unsure as to whether or not she imagined it. And then he nodded and came back over to them.

"What's wrong?" Karri asked, her eyes on her sister. "Did she see the future?"

Mr. McFayer waved the question away; the truck was slowing, and he motioned for everyone to be quiet.

The engine cut off, and they heard doors slam as Keith and Mr. Rayman got out of the front. Alyssa eyed one of Casey's screens; she had a camera attached to the back of the truck, so they could see into the factory's warehouse. Two men wearing gray uniforms and hats were approaching the truck, and Keith and Mr. Rayman came into view. They spoke briefly; Alyssa pressed her earpiece closer to her eardrum to hear them.

"Wait for the signal," Mr. McFayer mumbled in Jean's direction.

They watched the screen. Keith stretched his hands above his head and said, "Well, guess we'd better get this stuff offloaded, huh?"

Mr. McFayer nodded, and Jean turned to Exis. "You got this?" she asked. The Xatu's eyes flashed blue; outside, the factory workers dropped to the ground.

Mr. Rayman opened the door to the truck, throwing a large amount of sunlight into it, and everyone clambered out.

"Look after these guys, will ya?" Keith asked, scooping up one of the men and throwing him into the truck over the fishing equipment. Mr. Rayman threw in the other one.

"See ya when it's over, sweetheart," he said, and Casey waved as he shut the door.

Alyssa pushed the sleeve of the bluish uniform up to have a look at her Styler, which showed the blueprints of the factory. Mr. Rayman adjusted his jacket and said, "Heard some screaming from the back, McFayer. Would've stopped, but we were so close to the factory—what happened?"

"Danes's Xatu had a vision," he replied gruffly, casting a look at Jean, who was now standing in front of Exis with her hands on her hips, staring at him. "You know that Xatu can see into the past, present, and future, correct? Exis over there saw a house burning down somewhere; probably somewhere in Almia, but there's no telling. Could be Sinnoh or even Kanto, for that matter. Saw it just as it was happening."

"Must've been bad," Ian said, alarmed.

McFayer nodded. "Must've been. Okay, everyone—shift change should be happening…_now_. Go!"

They all rushed into the factory. The familiar gray walls and white-tiled floor made Alyssa queasy for a few seconds, but she turned left and left the pack, Jean by her side. The woman still had little crescent-shaped indentions on her cheeks from where her fingernails had dug into her skin.

"Don't forget your objectives," Mr. McFayer's voice said in her ear. "Radio silence until I say. Over and out."

Ziggy clutched at Alyssa's back. She didn't envy Team Three for two reasons, the first being that Karri was on their team; but also, they had to go into the main factory. Sure, they were rescuing Pokémon, but what about all the ones they couldn't save?

"Hang a left here," Jean said, glancing up from her Styler. Alyssa did so. This place seemed like a maze; how many tiny hallways could a factory have? She went over the other teams' objectives in her mind—by now, would Mr. McFayer and Keith be at the main supervisor's office? Would Ian, Karri, and Mr. Rayman be ducking out of sight outside the main factory, waiting for the signal? She decided she hated radio silence.

"Where to now?" Alyssa slowed. The hallway split into three paths; left, straight, or right. She glanced at her Styler, where a huge X marked the officers' lounge.

"Straight. No, Exis," Jean said as she began walking again, "the author meant that sarcastically, so when the interaction between the two characters came up in the next chapter, he could readily show their disdain for the count."

As usual, Alyssa decided not to ask, and she wondered at the Pokémon's ability to calmly go from seeing a tragic vision to wondering about a book.

"Hey! You two!"

Alyssa and Jean turned. A man in a gray uniform walked toward them. A Machoke followed after him, his arms crossed.

"Yes?" Alyssa asked.

"What are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be unloading the equipment?"

"Yes, but we're…well, we're a little lost. We're looking for one of the officers."

"Why?"

"He never told us where exactly to put the equipment," Jean said. "Also, he needs to sign for it."

"Which officer?"

"I don't remember his name," Alyssa said. "Do you?"

"Ah, no," Jean replied convincingly. "It was complicated. It started with a C...or maybe an M?"

"Malkovitz?" the man asked.

"That might've been it," Alyssa said.

"He's probably in the lounge. I'll take you there."

She could hardly believe their luck. The man led them down the hallway and through many twists and turns; the only bad thing about this was that Alyssa couldn't check her Styler. She heard static in her earpiece, but Casey had told them that this probably meant that Mr. McFayer was talking to the other team; she ignored it.

After a while of walking, the man turned toward a flight of stairs. Alyssa stopped in her tracks as he made his way up and glanced over at Jean; they knew without a doubt that the officers' lounge was on the first floor.

Halfway up the stairs, the man seemed to notice that they were no longer following him. He turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Um," Alyssa replied. She couldn't tell him that he wasn't leading them to the officers' lounge; he would suspect something. It seemed likely that he suspected something anyway. She glanced at Jean.

Suddenly, the static in Alyssa's ear turned to crackling, and then to Mr. Rayman's voice, broken up with static, yelling, "—mission—compromised—abort! _Abort_!"

It seemed urgent that they turn back, but Alyssa wasn't sure what to do.

Seeing their hesitance, the man smirked. "Machoke. Hold them."

"Exis!" Jean snapped. The Machoke lunged toward them, but Exis's Psychic lifted it off its feet and into the air, where it was suspended helplessly. The man crumpled to a heap on the stairs, victim to the same attack Exis had used on the two men sent to oversee the unloading of the equipment.

"Run!" Alyssa cried, and they turned to run down the hallway; men appeared at the top of the stairs and chased them down, sending Pokémon out of Poké Balls to follow them.

"Exis!" Jean yelled again, and several men fell to the ground. They flew around a corner and froze.

A man stood at the end of the hallway, holding a device with a button on it. He wore an expensive-looking business suit and shiny shoes, and his blonde hair was gelled and slicked back. Two men stood beside him holding a struggling Karri by the arms.

"Why, hello," the man said with a smile. "Look who it is…if I'm not mistaken, you're one half of the Ranger team that came snooping around my factory not too long ago. Surprised I recognized you?" he added. "Don't be. I never forget a face.

"No, don't move. You see, I have a Galactic Bomb set up inside the main factory, and if I press this button, it will explode. I've put a lot of money into this factory, so you can imagine how much it would pain me to see it all go to ruin. We can all be sensible—surrender, and I won't harm you or your friend here."

"Surrender? Never." The cliché was out of Alyssa's mouth before she could stop it; the man made a tsk-tsk noise, shaking his head.

"My, that _is_ a shame."

"Exis," Jean said, her voice low. The Xatu's eyes flashed blue.

A purple shield sprang up in front of the man and his two companions; as Jean's mouth dropped open, the blonde man's smile widened. "Confused? I imagined you would be. Kloptic, where are your manners? Introduce yourself…"

A Dusklops stepped through the wall in front of them, its one eye glowing red.

Alyssa glanced at Jean, who stared back, eyes wide.

"I'm feeling generous today," the man informed them, placing a hand on his hip. "I'll let you run. I'll even give you a head start before I press this button and blow up my factory—"

_BAM!_

Walls exploded outward, a fireball encased just about everything around it, and the blonde man swore as he dove out of the way. Exis cast some sort of psychic shield around Alyssa, Jean, and Karri, whom the guards had thrown to the floor. Alyssa didn't have time to assess what happened; almost everything around them was engulfed in flame. They had to run.

Alyssa, Jean, and Karri took off, picking their way through the only non-burning path they could find. "What happened?" Jean shrieked.

"Something went wrong!" Karri yelled back. "One of the other members must have set off a different bomb!"

Jean looked around as she ran. "It's just like the vision!" she yelled, her voice breaking into a sob halfway through the sentence.

_ Exis over there saw a house burning down somewhere…saw it just as it was happening._

He had lied.

Alyssa vaulted over some sort of fallen column, thoughts racing through her head. Why would Mr. McFayer lie about the vision? Why would Jean go along with it? Were they plotting against them? Were they actually part of Team Galactic?

Suddenly, without knowing how she did it, she was clear of the flames; she jogged to the truck, which was sitting well away from the building and surrounded by a very charred-looking group of Rangers. Mr. Rayman leaned against the side of the truck, panting, and Ian was shaking. Mr. McFayer, however, was pacing back and forth, hands clasped behind his back, lips set into a firm line.

"I _told_ you," Jean said accusingly. "I told you Exis was seeing—"

"Where's Danes?" Mr. McFayer interrupted.

"I'm right here," Jean told him exasperatedly.

"No—the _other_ Danes."

Alyssa spun around. Karri had been right behind her not two seconds ago—where was she now?

"Karri!" Jean cried. Her hands flew to her mouth. "Karri, oh God, Karri!"

Without thinking, Alyssa ran back towards the burning factory.

"What the hell is she doing?" Mr. McFayer demanded of his team; when no one answered, he began yelling for her. "Thompson! Get back here!"

She didn't listen; something had taken over her body, some responsive instinct that had led her back in Marine Cave.

"Thompson! Thompson! _Alyssa_!"

She plunged back into the flames; the heat was awful. Ziggy clung to her shoulder as she carefully but quickly picked her way through the factory, which was quickly becoming ruins. "Karri!" she yelled, looking this way and that—her eyes began to water. "_Karri_!"

A brief vision flashed through Alyssa's head of the double doors to the main factory; without knowing why, she headed there, or as close to there as she could find. Flames licked at the walls; something fell behind her, crumpling to the ground and crashing loudly. She jumped but pressed on.

_"Help!"_ cried a small voice. Alyssa froze for a moment.

"Karri?"

"Help!" The voice grew stronger. Alyssa took off, holding the picture of the main factory's double doors in her mind and hoping she was going in that direction.

"Keep yelling!"

"HELP! HELP ME! I'M OVER HERE!" These few words preceded a large coughing fit, which led Alyssa straight to Karri.

Siami was pacing worriedly back and forth in front of Karri, who was lying underneath a column—thankfully, it wasn't on fire yet. The woman's eyes narrowed. "_You_."

"There's no time for that," Alyssa snapped over the roaring of the flames; as if to accent her point, something snapped behind her and a bit of ceiling fell to the ground, revealing a patch of smoke-covered sky. "Why can't Siami pick up the column?"

"It'll hit too many other things," Karri yelled back. "Bring the building down around me. Why are you doing this?" she added as Alyssa bent to try and push the column off her. "You hate me!"

"That's no reason to let you _die_. Now shut up, I'm trying to work here! Ziggy, help me out!"

The Zigzagoon leapt down from her back and gave the column a mighty Headbutt; it shifted from Karri's body, allowing her to pull one leg free. She twisted and began shoving against it; soon, all of them were pushing the column, Siami trying to use Psychic to make the job easier.

With one more incredibly powerful Headbutt, the column moved from Karri's remaining trapped leg; she sprang free, but the end of the column smacked into the wall, which crumbled.

"Ziggy!" Alyssa cried; all sorts of rubble and debris fell all around them, and she saw one particularly large slab of wall smack into Ziggy before shards of ceiling buried him. "Ziggy, NO!"

"Don't be stupid!" Karri yelled, grabbing Alyssa by the arm, but she wrenched free and dove toward the pile of rubble, Karri's shouts fading behind her. Was Ziggy okay? He couldn't be dead, she wouldn't be able to handle that—he had to be alive!

Something large struck Alyssa's leg painfully; she shrieked in agony and tumbled to the ground. "The building's coming down!" Karri yelled. Alyssa dragged herself toward Ziggy, wherever he was, her leg jerking behind her and sending sharp, painful jabs up toward her spine.

And then there was a sharp pain in her head, and everything went black.

_Ziggy_.

* * *

_No new messages_

_

* * *

_

_I AM SO SORRY THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATING! Things are really weird at home...Mom and I have been having problems with Dad, so we moved out of the house. Everything has been REALLY hectic. I AM SO SORRY ABOUT THIS._

_Also, it's going to be really hard for me to thank reviewers here from now on, since I have limited time on the Interwebs. I AM ALSO SORRY ABOUT THIS. Please forgive me!_


	48. Chapter 47

The days were getting shorter—Belle made her way down the hallway as the rays of the setting sun lanced through the kitchen window, giving everything an orange tinge. She passed a finger along the edge of the counter as she passed it.

The door next to Terra's bedroom led to a staircase, which led to the gym. Belle let herself out and went down the stairs, her footsteps muffled against the carpet. Halfway down, the stairs changed from carpeted and homey-looking to metal and intimidating. Boots would clang loudly on these, but Belle's feet were bare, so the only change was the sudden chill to her heels and toes. She heard roaring and yelling and laughing.

Belle pushed open the double-doors at the end of the staircase dramatically, like they were meant to be opened; all activity in the gym stopped as she posed, arms out, head thrown back, one foot thrust forward, toe pointed. She slowly raised her head.

Derek burst out laughing, and Belle couldn't hold the pose anymore; she laughed, too, walking away from the doors and letting them swing shut behind her. All Belle's Pokémon stood in the gym—they had been playing with Derek.

"You guys having fun?" Belle asked the group.

"Yeah!" Derek replied happily. He smiled brightly at her, and she smiled back. "Charmy is really cool—he can fly _really_ high!"

"I flew here from Cinnabar Island on his back."

Derek's mouth fell open. "_Whoa_. Really?"

"Really."

"I have the coolest sister in the world!"

Belle laughed as she came to stand beside him, ruffling his hair. "I suppose so."

He reached up and grabbed her hand, pressing it to the top of his head, which was a tad sweaty; Belle didn't mind. In fact, it brought back fond memories of playing in the backyard during summer. Belle's only friends had been Alyssa, Cassandra, and Derek—the girls she knew in Cherrygrove didn't particularly count as _friends_—so she really only played with Derek growing up.

"When I turn sixteen, I'm gonna get a good Pokémon," Derek announced.

"Will you get a Charmander?"

"I dunno," he said, now rhythmically patting her hand. "I may get a Water Pokémon. I kinda like Squirtle."

"But you said Charizard is your favorite Pokémon."

"Yeah. But it wouldn't be fair to Charmy if I had a Charizard."

Belle decided not to question the logic behind this. Instead, she scanned her Pokémon, all of which looked a little worn out. "How about we sit down and let Charmy and everybody rest?"

"Yeah, they look tired." Derek wrapped his fingers around Belle's hand and led her up the bleachers, picking a spot near the window on the very top one. When they sat, he sat close to Belle, leaning his head against her shoulder. They both watched the Pokémon below settle down for a rest.

"How are you liking the life of a Gym Leader's son?" Belle asked.

Derek shrugged. "It's different. I miss home."

"You do?"

He nodded. "But I miss you most of all. I don't have anybody to play with anymore."

Belle felt a pang of guilt and sadness; she began stroking her little brother's hair. "I'm sorry, buddy."

"It's okay. I wouldn't want you to stay—you wanna be a Pokémon Trainer. You wouldn't be happy."

Belle smiled down at him. "I guess I wouldn't. But maybe it would've been easier on you if I had started out in Johto instead of going to a totally different region."

"Maybe. But that's not what you wanted to do, so it's okay. I like playing with your Pokémon," he added. "They're really cool. It makes me wanna have a Pokémon."

"That's cool," Belle told him. "Would you wanna start out in Johto or Kanto? You could even start in Hoenn or—" She stopped. She couldn't bring herself to say _Sinnoh_—she didn't want to think about Derek going to the region in which her father met his end.

"I don't know," Derek replied. "Hey, Belle?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you…_want_ to play with me?"

Belle glanced down at him; he looked down at his lap, where he was tracing his finger in a pattern on his jeans. "What do you mean?"

"Well…maybe if you hadn't played with me so much when we were little…you might've been different. Or happier."

Belle frowned. What was he talking about?

"Just…you never had any real friends other than me and Alyssa and Cassandra. Maybe you could've had more friends if I hadn't been in your way."

"Oh, Derek," Belle whispered, dropping her hand from his head to his shoulder. "Is that what you think? That I didn't _want_ to play with you?"

Derek shrugged, keeping his head bowed.

"I _loved_ playing with you, buddy. I didn't have any other friends because I was too happy being _your_ friend. You weren't in my way."

"How do you know? How do you know that you wouldn't've been happier with other friends?"

"Because _you_ are the best little brother a girl could ask for, and not playing with you would have been the saddest thing in the world. Besides, I didn't like any of the girls my age. They were mean and stupid."

Derek was silent for a few moments. "Really?" he asked.

"_Really_. I love you, buddy. You are the _best_ little brother in the world."

"I love you, too."

Belle hugged him, and he hugged her back. After a while of just sitting there together in silence, she reached a hand into her pocket and pulled out the Charizard toy. "Hey," she said. "You can have this back."

"You don't want it anymore?" Derek looked hurt.

"What? Of course I do! I just thought you would want it back now."

He shook his head. "No. I gave it to you. That means it's yours forever now."

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

"Okay." She put it back into her pocket, smiling. Just then, she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye; she turned toward the window to inspect it.

Someone dressed all in black was standing outside the gym, crouched down and casting looks about them as if making sure no one was watching. They had a big red _R_ stitched across their chest.

"Team Rocket?" Belle mumbled, watching the person creep around the edge of the building. What were they doing here?

As she watched, a young couple Belle recognized as the owners of a nearby house strolled by, and the Team Rocket member froze before slinking quickly away. Belle stood and made her way down the bleachers.

"Where you goin'?" Derek asked, following.

"I have to ask Mom something. Come into the house, guys!" Belle called to her Pokémon; all six of them turned and followed her up the stairs into the house.

"Can't I stay out and play?"

"No, I think it's best if you come into the house," she replied. "Play in the living room or something, okay? Don't go back into the gym." She stepped out of the way of all her Pokémon parading past, and then shut the door to the staircase and locked it. "Mom! Mom, where are you?"

The bedroom door opened. "Right here," Terra said, watching as Derek and all Belle's Pokémon went into the living room. "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you." Belle entered her mother's bedroom. The large meditation area was bare, not at all like it had been the night she had come in and listened to her mother's story. "I saw a Team Rocket member outside."

Terra frowned. "Team Rocket? Well, I guess it would make sense…"

"What? Why?"

"Their boss used to use this gym as a sort of hideout," she replied. "It's why they have a hard time finding a Leader for it—people are always scared that Team Rocket will come and kidnap the person who runs it. It's happened once or twice, but I thought Team Rocket was moving operations to Sinnoh…looks like they might not be."

"Mom, this is serious. Take Derek and go back to Cherrygrove."

"I'm not going to let one measly Team Rocket grunt scare me away from my job, Belle." Terra crossed her arms. "If things get serious, I can take care of myself."

"What about Derek?" Belle asked.

"You can take him and run."

"I won't be leaving you here alone—or without my Earth Badge."

"A Gym Leader can give a badge as they see fit," Terra replied. "If we get attacked by Team Rocket, you can just take a badge and run with Derek."

"Okay, number one, you didn't even address my first problem—the one where I don't want to leave you here alone—and number two, if I'm going to get an Earth Badge, I'm going to _earn_ it. I'm going to defeat you in a fair battle."

Terra smiled. "That's my girl. But you don't have to worry about those things right now, sweetie. Go play with your brother." She opened the door and stepped out of the way for Belle to exit. "Don't worry about Team Rocket right now, okay?"

"Okay," Belle replied.

* * *

_Don't worry about Team Rocket, my ass,_ Belle thought that night as she looked out her bedroom window. Just as she had expected, a Team Rocket member was creeping around the building again.

Belle got out of her bed and returned Charmy to his Poké Ball. "I might need you later," she whispered to the Ball as she left her bedroom.

There was a door that allowed the occupants of the house to leave without going through the gym, and Belle used it now, quietly moving down the few steps and out into the night air. She froze as she saw a different Team Rocket member slink around a corner out of sight.

Silently as she could, Belle crept after him, crouched low but moving quickly. As she got closer, she heard their whispered voices.

"Looks like we'll have to get inside."

"You're sure it was Giovanni who wanted us to take the gym back, and not that guy they've got leading Galactic now?"

"I got the orders from a Rocket Executive, but I don't know where he got them; I mean, we _were_ in Sinnoh."

"I just hope they don't make us dye our hair that stupid color. Have you seen the people that live in here yet?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You seen the girl?"

Belle froze. Did they mean her?

"Yeah," the other replied. "What about her?"

"Well, she looks an awful lot like…that guy."

"What guy?"

"The one Galactic's got holed up in the dungeons in Veilstone. I don't remember his name…starts with a D...David?"

"Manny?"

"Does _that_ start with a D?"

"No, but I know the guy you're talking about, and I remember there being an N in his name."

"You're stupid."

"Sorry."

Belle's heartbeat went double-time. They had somebody that looked like her in a dungeon in Veilstone City? She knew enough geography to know that was in Sinnoh, where Team Galactic made their base.

"Well, now's as good a time as any to get in," one of the men continued.

"We don't have any blueprints."

"Just wing it. Who cares?"

"_I_ care," Belle said, her voice coming out stronger than she felt. The two men whipped around.

"It's the girl!"

"Jolteon!" Belle cried, throwing her Poké Ball. "Use Thunder Wave!"

A wave of lightning hit the two men, and they fell to the ground.

"I can't move!" one of them hissed to the other; Belle walked up to their still forms.

"Who is the guy in the dungeon that looks like me?"

"I don't know," the man replied. "He's been there for ages, they said."

"How long?"

"I dunno…a few years, maybe. Just let us go!"

"Not a chance. _Tell me what I want to know_." Belle's heart was hammering. She looked a lot like her dad. His name started with a D. If the man in the dungeon had been there for eight years…it was too much of a coincidence. "How long has the man been in the dungeon?"

"Eight years," the other man said. "I think that's what they said. Eight years, right, Wy—"

"Don't say my name, you idiot!"

The other man fell silent.

"Eight years, I think, okay? Let us go."

"Stay here, Jolteon," Belle said. "Keep using Thunder Wave to keep 'em nice and paralyzed…I'll be right back." She sent Charmy out and leapt onto his back. "Pokémon Center," she said. "We need to talk to Officer Jenny."

* * *

**To:** dancing_through_life

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** Hm.

* * *

Hey.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CONTEST! I am SO gonna watch it on TV…if I don't get the chance to actually fly to Hoenn and see it.

Something weird just happened here, but I'll tell you about it later. The bottom line is, I'm challenging Mom soon.

Love love love,

Belle

P.S. I didn't get an email from Alyssa. Should I be worried?

* * *

_Hi everybody! Look, another chapter fairly soon! DON'T LEAVE ME!_

_Because of my new limited-Internet thing, I can't thank my reviewers personally at all anymore...which SUCKS. I love you guys, all of you, and I'm so sorry! And thank you for those who did review!_

_Thank you everybody...please don't be mad at me._


	49. Chapter 48

Cassandra stepped off the S.S. _Tidal_ to brilliant flashes of light; cameras were all around, microphones were jammed into her face.

Three men in suits sprang to her side and pushed the crowd away—they had badges pinned to their chests reading _Lilycove Contest Hall Security_. Apparently, they were always on hand to help the Coordinators.

Fluffy growled as he padded by Cassandra's side, clearly not happy with the way they had to walk from the Lilycove Harbor. They crossed the stone floor and jumbled out the door in one large mass of bodies.

"Miss Étoile, how do you feel about your upcoming contest? Is the fact that you only have one day to train making you nervous at all?"

"Miss Étoile, we were unaware that you have a Mightyena. Will this Pokémon be performing in the contest?"

"Karen, what do I say?" Cassandra hissed.

"Just smile and wave. We'll be to the hotel in no time."

Cassandra smiled and waved at the cameras and the people who stood in front of them. By the time they reached the hotel, the crowd had grown to encompass regular citizens, who were pushing close and trying to get autographs.

The men in black suits surrounded her and opened the door to the Cove Lily Motel as soon as she got there; a bald man beckoned for her hand, which she gave, and he pulled her inside, Karen dashing in after her. The door shut firmly on the flashes of light, the microphones, and even the security men.

"Welcome to the Cove Lily," the bald man said nervously. "I'm the owner, and I'll just, uh, show you to your room.

"We don't get any Coordinators," he added as he led her up the stairs. "I mean, not at Master Rank. There's a bigger hotel, you see, much more expensive—not to say that it's nicer or anything—but they usually stay there. Not that I want you to go there!" he said hastily, pausing at a wooden door. "It's—it's an honor to have you, Miss Étoile, and—can I have your autograph?"

Cassandra was a bit taken aback; but she smiled. "Of course," she said as graciously as she could manage. "Just let me get into my room."

"R-right, yes, of course."

After Cassandra had signed a piece of paper for the bald man, she went to her window and opened it, leaning out. The window was at the back of the hotel, so she had a very nice view of Lilycove City itself.

Though she had never really wanted to admit it to her mother, Cassandra thought Lilycove was rather pretty. And it was an important city—not only did it house the Master Rank Contest and the Department Store, but it had the Art Museum, too. The salty smell of the sea wasn't as pronounced here as it was in Slateport, but the ocean was just as beautiful, shining blue beneath the round sun. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of flowers and ocean.

"Get training," Karen snapped. "Just a bit more and Swablu will evolve, and you don't have that much time to waste. Snap to it!"

"All _right_," Cassandra said, sliding the window shut. "I just need to find a way to train without the paparazzi all over me." Then she laughed. "I _never_ thought I would have to say that."

* * *

The Lilycove Contest Hall was _huge_. It was strange to have a building this big for a contest with only three or four contestants, but Cassandra supposed that those three or four contestants did work hard to achieve Master Rank…most of them, anyway.

Once again, the Lilycove Contest Hall Security ushered Cassandra and Karen through the press and adoring fans, this time to a private lounge. When she went inside, Cassandra was surprised to see Joanna, Gerald, and Nancy, Joanna's friend. She was a tall woman with ever-changing hairstyles; this season it was dark brown and chin-length in the front, and almost shaved in the back it was so short.

"Sandy-bear!" Gerald boomed, and he encompassed her in a large bear hug. As he stood before her, a huge grin across his face, Cassandra thought how odd he looked in a Coordinator's lounge filled with furniture even fancier than the stuff in their house.

"Cassie," Joanna said. The corner of her mouth lifted in some sort of smile.

"When did you guys get here?" Cassandra asked, delightedly hugging her father and pretending she was talking to the room in general.

"We've been here for about an hour," Joanna told her from her perch on the couch. "Gerald just got here."

"Mama J's right," Gerald confessed, pulling away from the hug. "I was having a very important talk with Mr. Devon, and I couldn't get away as soon as I wanted."

"Oh. That's okay. At least you're here!"

Karen cocked her head, staring at Joanna. "Is that what people call you?" she asked. "Mama J?"

Joanna sneered.

"It certainly is!" Gerald boomed happily. "Mama J and Papa G! You can call me that, you know—Papa G."

"Where did you get that dress?" Nancy asked, speaking for the first time.

"This?" Cassandra asked, looking down at it. It was colored the lightest of blues, and it was an off-the-shoulder number, with sleeves that weren't so much sleeves as gauzy material trailing off her upper arms. It was fitted to her torso, but not tightly, and the skirt fell loosely past her hips into a ripple of blue, then white, then blue, then white layers of the same material that made up the sleeves, and it shifted and floated when she walked. "Karen made it."

Nancy's eyebrows shot up, and Joanna sneered. "Really? Isn't that…just so nice."

"Yes it is!" Gerald cried. "Karen, you have magnificent talent! And it looks so good on you, Sandy-bear! Doesn't it, Mama J?"

Joanna turned away, reaching for a glass on the table beside the couch, her lips pursed together.

"You aren't curious at all about what I was talking to Mr. Devon about?" Gerald asked, his eyes sparkling.

"I probably wouldn't understand," Cassandra said dismissively. "What is this?" She crossed the room toward the expensive-looking coffee table, where a device that looked similar to a Pokédex lay. She picked it up; it said _Lilycove Master Rank Contest—Coordinator Profiles_ across the top. When she pushed the button to turn it on, it showed her a menu with four names written in a list—Emilia Avery, Cassandra Étoile, Sakura Konohana, and Zachary Laurel.

Cassandra's stomach clenched. She had seen Sakura near the Department Store, surrounded by press and talking calmly to the reporters, so she had almost known for sure that the girl would be competing today. She wondered if she would be facing off against her—most likely, since Sakura would undoubtedly be bribing a judge.

Unfamiliar with boys' participation in Contests, Cassandra pressed the button to take her to Zachary Laurel's profile.

"_I'm_ curious," Karen said. "What were you and Mr. Devon talking about?"

Gerald looked at her, grinning. He obviously appreciated how utterly unabashed this girl was. "Well, we were just discussing the fact that Mr. Devon wants to boost familiarity with the Devon Corporation. We've been losing customers, you see, and Mr. Devon is coming out with a new product, so he wants to build his customer loyalty back up. I was telling him that a way to do that would be to tack the corporation's name to something popular, something that many Hoenn citizens would see often."

Cassandra scanned Zachary's profile. The profiles didn't tell what Pokémon the Coordinators used—the people running the contests understood how useful the element of surprise was—but it did say the type they favored. Zachary's was grass.

"And I told him," Gerald continued, "that he should _sponsor_ something—or someone—popular."

Karen cocked her head; Joanna turned slowly, her glass tipped toward her mouth, which was open.

"Like a Coordinator."

Cassandra frowned at the little icon in the corner of Zachary's profile, which was supposed to show his first-round opponent. She pressed it.

It was her.

"Gerald," Joanna said, slowly placing her glass down. "Are you saying—"

"_Yes_!" Gerald cried happily. "Mr. Devon is thinking about asking Cassandra if she will be sponsored by the Devon Corporation!"

Cassandra's attention snapped back to the conversation so quickly she felt as though she must have mental whiplash. She glanced at Joanna—a mix of emotions was flying across the woman's face. "A corporate sponsor," she said, clutching the arm of the couch. Cassandra could practically read her thoughts; should she be angry that Cassandra could be taken from under her thumb, or should she be happy that Cassandra could possibly be getting a new flow of money that didn't have to come from Joanna herself? Or, should she be jealous?

"Dad," Cassandra whispered. "That's—that's—"

"Magnificent! I know!" Gerald clapped his hands together. "A whole new world would be opened to you, Cassandra—the world of Corporate Contests!"

Businesses sometimes hosted their own Contests, sometimes to attract the public, and sometimes exclusively for their employees. Corporate-sponsored Coordinators would compete in these, and once a year, the top four businesses in Hoenn—whatever they happened to be that year—would host a large championship contest between their Coordinators. It was usually one of the must-see events of the year; tickets sold for hundreds of dollars, and people all over Hoenn watched it on television. The only thing bigger was the once-a-year Lilycove Veteran Contest, which was the time when the Coordinators who have won Master Rank come back to compete at Lilycove again. Cassandra herself had only dreamed of being part of these types of contests; now, it was a real possibility. She knew that the Lilycove Department Store was speculating on sponsoring Sakura Konohana—it was all over the news—but to think that Cassandra could be sponsored by the _Devon Corporation_, the company that was _always_ in the top four. While most companies sponsored two or three, Devon hadn't really sponsored a Coordinator in years; they would always choose one when the championship drew near. It was considered a great honor to be the Coordinator representing Devon—and Cassandra could be the one _always_ representing them.

"Cassandra," Karen whispered.

"There's more," Gerald said.

"_More_?" Cassandra gasped. "How could there _possibly_ be more?"

He grinned. "Well, sometime soon, Devon Corporation hopes to do something a little…different. You see, there are rather large businesses in other regions who are perfectly capable of sponsoring Coordinators—Silph Co. in Kanto, for one. Devon wanted to host the first Interregional Corporate Contest. That is, if they found a Coordinator to sponsor."

Cassandra thought she might pass out. To compete in the first ever Interregional Corporate Contest…but she had to win today—corporations only sponsored Coordinators who had won the Master Rank.

Karen carefully plucked the electronic profile device from Cassandra's hand and surveyed it, frowning. "You're the first battle of the day," she said. "It should be starting soon."

As if on cue, the door to the lounge opened and a security guard leaned in. "Miss Étoile?" he asked politely. "You're needed at the stadium. Your family and friends may watch in the stands or on the television in the lounge."

Cassandra felt a Beautifly flutter up in her stomach, and she tried to calm it as she accepted a hug from Gerald and followed the security guard out of the lounge. The trip into the stadium was much less hectic than any others Cassandra had taken while in Lilycove; the press was nowhere to be found. They were all probably in the stadium.

Sure enough, when the double doors opened and Cassandra entered to a roar from the crowd, cameras flashed down at her from what seemed like all angles. She smiled genuinely as her heart leapt with excitement. _This is it,_ she told herself. She wished that Fluffy or Finny was walking beside her, that they could share in this moment with her, but she made her way to her little square alone.

Zachary Laurel was a tall boy about her age, with curly brown hair and a chiseled jaw. He wore a pale green tuxedo with a dark green shirt, but he didn't have a tie; the first few buttons of his shirt were undone. He already held his Poké Ball in his hand, so Cassandra reached for hers.

"Welcome!" said the MC, and for the first time, Cassandra saw him—or her, rather. The Lilycove City MC was a woman, and she sat perched on a long rectangular podium near the judges' panel, a gleaming wooden box beside her. She wore a bright red skirt suit with heels to match, and her slender fingers deftly clutched the microphone. As Cassandra watched, she stood, flicking her blonde hair off her shoulder, and slid gently off her podium, walking forward a few steps. This was Wendy Karr, the most famous MC in Hoenn. She usually performed as MC for the Corporate Championship as well, but she always did the Master Rank Contests. "Do we have an excellent show for you all tonight! Is everyone ready to see some beautiful moves?"

The crowd cheered wildly. Wendy let out a warm laugh and walked the length of the stadium, gesturing grandly to the huge television that would be showing the battle up-close. "Let's meet our esteemed judges. First up is a wonderful, lovely healer and giver, a woman we all go to in times of need. Everyone say hello to Lilycove City's own Nurse Joy!" She paused to allow the crowd to cheer and Nurse Joy to wave, her oversized face beaming from the screen. "And next we have a veteran Coordinator, a woman who fought through Hoenn's contest ranks and came out alive just like these young Coordinators hope to—and with amazing style, might I add—the Rose of Petalburg City, Heather Wilkes-Bradley!"

A woman about Joanna's age with narrow eyes and dark green hair smiled, waving grandly toward the crowd. A Roselia stood beside her, but it was larger than any Cassandra had ever seen—which immediately made her suspicious. The last time she had encountered a Coordinator with a Pokémon larger than any other members of its species, she had learned of giving Pokémon medications to increase their chances of winning. An image of a red-haired silhouette puffing a cigarette leapt into Cassandra's mind; she pushed it out. She wouldn't think about it right now.

"And last, but certainly not least, we have a man so important to the welfare of Lilycove City that his establishment is the chief reason most people visit. He's also the reason I have such snazzy outfits. Give it up for the one and only Mr. — Verlyn Ince, the CEO of Lilycove Department Store!"

Rage bubbled up in Cassandra's stomach as the title assaulted her ears. The CEO of _Lilycove Department Store_? He would obviously be leaning toward Sakura—he wanted to sponsor her! Cassandra tried keep her smile as her anger leapt around inside her. How dense could the people running the contest be? Had they not been watching the news at all? He would be biased! The contest wouldn't be fair!

_Calm down,_ Cassandra thought. If she came up against Sakura, she would just have to beat her so soundly that there was no question about who had won.

Looking at Verlyn Ince, however, it was extremely difficult for Cassandra to be angry at him personally. He was very friendly-looking; he lifted a black fedora off his head and smiled happily at the crowd, waving a slim hand. He had a large pink carnation as a boutonniere—it was very endearing.

"And now, let's meet the Coordinators who will be battling it out in this first round," Wendy said. "Over here, we have Zachary Laurel, the Green Leaf from Azalea Town, Johto!"

Zachary raised his hand and waved, smiling broadly out at the crowd as a camera zoomed in on him, showing him larger than life on the screen.

"And over here, we have Cassandra Étoile, the Honey-Haired Princess of Nature from Verdanturf Town!"

As the crowd roared and Cassandra waved, smiling sweetly, her mind reeled. _Honey-Haired Princess of Nature_? Was that really what people called her? She couldn't decide if she liked that or thought it was ridiculous.

"Coordinators, you are about to begin the most important battle of your life," Wendy said dramatically, clutching the microphone with both hands. "And now, without further ado—_begin_!"

"Go, Fiona!"

Zachary spun and released his Poké Ball backhand; it spun out and opened, letting forth a Leafeon. It swung its head; gleaming, multicolored leaves spun out and curved up, arranging themselves in a circular pattern behind the Pokémon so that it looked as though it were springing from a bed of rainbow leaves. The effect was quite beautiful.

"And Zachary gets off to a very impressive start," Wendy said, placing a hand on her hip. Cassandra glanced at Zachary's points bar; it didn't surge forward, like she expected, but sort of inched. _These judges are strict,_ she thought nervously.

"Altaria!" Cassandra called. The layers of her skirt shifted majestically as she threw the Poké Ball; Altaria flew out, and a shimmering wind circled around her as she crowed loudly, the sound like the pealing of a bell. Feathers erupted into the wind and twirled around her body as she floated gently downward, stopping to hover about a foot off the ground; the feathers drifted slowly past her.

"Cassandra matches Zachary's entrance with equal vigor!"

"Fiona, Quick Attack!"

The Leafeon bounded forward; rainbow leaves streamed behind it, leaving a multicolored path across the stadium floor.

"Dodge it, Altaria!"

The Dragon and Flying Pokémon soared upward, her white wings shimmering like bits of cloud. Fiona passed harmlessly beneath her.

"Dragon Pulse!"

Altaria opened her beak and let forth a large, glowing green ball, which surged forward and struck Fiona dead-on; the Leafeon tumbled over. Altaria followed this by swooping downward and catching Fiona full in the face with her wing.

"Fiona, you can do this! Use Leaf Blade!"

Leafeon leapt up, its powerful muscles propelling it into the air; it reared its head back and—

"Mist!" Cassandra cried.

Altaria opened its mouth and flew backwards as a mist left its beak, surrounding the entire stadium in an icy veil. Cassandra felt it pressing in on her, but she knew Altaria could see. She trusted her Pokémon to make the next call.

It felt like hours standing in the white Mist before something finally happened; Altaria used Tailwind, and shimmering wind cut through the mist, leaving a path straight from Altaria to Fiona. Crying out, Altaria swept downward, using Wing Attack to basically club the Leafeon over the head and send it flying.

"Fiona!" Zachary cried.

"Zachary is losing quite a bit of points," Wendy commented. "Thought it's a bit hard to tell with the residual Mist hanging around. It looks as though one more move from Altaria could finish Zachary's points off completely."

Whoa! Those judges _were_ strict! Cassandra shook her hair; it danced around her, catching the light. "Altaria! Feather Dance, then Dragon Rush!"

The Feather Dance served no purpose except to add to the aesthetic, and it did its job beautifully. Fluffy white feathers streamed behind Altaria, who surrounded herself with a blue aura and came down hard toward Leafeon.

"Fiona, use Magical Leaf!"

Fiona swung its head; multicolored leaves swarmed toward Altaria, but they bounced harmlessly off her aura until she collided with the Leafeon full-force, knocking it backward. The Pokémon attempted to do some sort of backflip to save itself, but it messed up the landing, its legs collapsing beneath it until it slid to a stop at Zachary's feet.

Zachary's points vanished, and Cassandra's bar was almost full. She blinked up at it, astonished, and realized that she hadn't been paying attention to her own bar at all.

"And Cassandra Étoile wins the first round!" Wendy yelled enthusiastically into the microphone. "Congratulations! Back to your lounges; we'll take a short intermission, and then the next battle will begin!"

Cassandra went back to her lounge in a daze. She had won. Just one more battle—_one more battle_!—and she would be the ultimate winner.

Joanna and Nancy were sitting on the couch, both with a glass of wine. They were talking about something, but they stopped as Cassandra entered, and Joanna placed her glass on the coffee table.

"Well, you managed to beat that boy," she said.

"Where are Father and Karen?"

"They went into the stadium to watch. I expect they'll be back soon enough to gush over you. And that girl refuses to put that Wigglytuff in its Poké Ball. Honestly—a _Wigglytuff_."

"Her family doesn't believe in using Poké Balls, Mother," Cassandra retorted as Altaria drifted toward a fluffy chair, unsure of how to land on it. "It's a belief I'm thinking of adopting. It really is nice to have your Pokémon around, especially when you need _support_." She walked over to Altaria and placed a hand on its head. "You did wonderfully," she said quietly to it. "Just one more, sweetie. One more."

Just then, the door burst open and Karen rushed in, Tuffly in tow. The girl completely ignored Joanna's look of disgust and turned to Cassandra and Altaria.

"You're doing good," she said, coming closer and patting Altaria appreciatively. "But there's one more battle."

"Um, did you hear the title they gave me?" Cassandra asked. "The Honey-Haired Princess of Nature?"

Joanna made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a derisive laugh. Karen ignored her. "Yes. We already knew about that."

"No, _you_ already knew about that," Cassandra corrected her. "_I_ had no idea."

"Oh. Well, that's what the media has been calling you."

"And why did I never—?"

"Focus on the upcoming battle," Karen said, pointing towards the television. "There's a good chance you'll be up against Sakura Konohana, unless the Emilia girl has more money."

"What are you suggesting about Ms. Konohana?" Joanna asked.

"She's a cheater," Karen replied offhandedly. "She bribes."

"Hm." Joanna turned away, sipping wine from her glass.

Gerald arrived, panting. "You run very fast," he told Karen. He shut the lounge door behind him and collapsed onto the couch beside Joanna, jolting her so that her wine sloshed and came dangerously close to spilling. "Careful there, Mama J."

Joanna gritted her teeth but said nothing.

Cassandra kept her eyes on the television screen, and when Sakura let out her Goldeen, she gasped.

It was _huge_, bigger, perhaps, than a Seaking, but somehow every bit as graceful as it had been as a smaller Pokémon. The colors were brighter, they blended better, its tail rippled sweetly in the water, its horn shone in the light. And its _speed_; it cut through the water like a hot knife through butter. But Cassandra knew exactly why all this was possible, even though Wendy Karr was wondering loudly how this could be—drugs. And the fact that none of the judges seemed to be concerned was a result of bribing.

Cassandra balled her hand into a fist. She would beat Sakura, bribing or no.

Sakura won, unsurprisingly, and Cassandra returned Altaria to her Ball. She brushed her hair, ignoring the buzz of conversation going on in the lounge around her, and followed the security guard when he came to get her. She walked. She breathed. She blinked. She functioned. She glided on autopilot to her place across the stadium from Sakura, hearing every beat of her heart and every breath in her lungs. This was it. She hardly noticed as the stadium floor opened, revealing a sparkling pool of water with platforms dotted about it like little islands. She barely listened as Wendy introduced them again, the Lily of the Sea versus the Honey-Haired Princess of Nature, and she automatically reached for Altaria's Poké Ball, waiting with baited breath for the word _begin_.

"Begin!"

"Altaria!" Cassandra's hair fluttered around her as she threw her Poké Ball. Altaria soared out, feathers whipping all around her, their shapes blurring with the Mist swirling around her as well. Then they burst away in an explosion of light, fog, and feathers, and all came cascading down. The crowd cheered, which was exactly what Cassandra had been hoping for—this was her most dramatic entrance, and she had been planning it for quite some time.

"Go, Deena!" The sleeves of Sakura's kimono billowed in her own breeze; the giant Goldeen burst from her Poké Ball, water shimmering around her like little bits of sunlight. Bubbles flew up and disappeared into the rafters. Deena herself slid gently into the water, her tail undulating gently.

Cassandra met Sakura's eyes across the battlefield, and she felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu—only this time, she wasn't as naïve. She knew she would have to work harder than Sakura to win this fight, since she had no bribes supporting her. A smug smile drifted across Sakura's face; she obviously thought her victory was assured.

"Deena, use Water Pulse!"

The Goldeen whipped in a graceful circle; the floor shook as everyone heard a slight _boom_, and water erupted from the pool. Altaria sailed upward and out of the reach of the water. Cassandra glanced over at Sakura, who smiled. She knew what that evil kimono-clad woman was doing; she was demonstrating the fact that Altaria and Goldeen played on two totally different playing fields. She was showing that it would be fairly easy for Goldeen's attacks to get to Altaria, but that Altaria would have a difficult time reaching Goldeen.

She was in for a surprise.

"Dragon Rush!"

Altaria surrounded herself with that familiar blue aura and plunged downward, shooting down past the surface of the water as if it was nothing; she hit the surprised Deena full-on, smashing her down toward the bottom of the pool, and then bent and rocketed up and out, the aura dispelling in a blue vapor as water droplets cascaded from her. Cassandra glanced at her points bar, which was moving steadily forward.

"Deena, Horn Attack!"

Deena launched herself from the depths of the pool, spinning slightly so that a gentle rain fell from her tail. Altaria tried to dodge, but the horn clipped her wing. She cried out and banked sideways as Deena did a graceful backflip, shooting back into the water. Cassandra glanced at her bar; thankfully, it only edged backwards a bit. She was well ahead of Sakura, surprisingly.

"Altaria, use Aerial Ace!"

"What just happened?" Wendy exclaimed. "One minute, Altaria was in the air, and now it's in the water!"

Cassandra smiled. Wendy was correct; Aerial Ace was the fastest move in Altaria's repertoire, and she performed it well. The Pokémon was nothing but a white-and-blue blur as she streaked across the field, and she hardly even made a splash as she entered the water and collided with Deena.

"Whirlpool, then Fury Attack!"

Deena whipped up a Whirlpool so fast that Altaria had no way of escaping; it cried out as Deena rained down a flurry of attacks. Cassandra's bar began edging downward.

"Get out, Altaria! You can do it!"

And indeed, she could; with a cry, she broke free, soaring straight up.

"Follow it with Waterfall!" Sakura yelled.

"Sky Attack!"

The crowd gasped collectively; Altaria began to glow at once, pushing to speed up as Goldeen closed the distance behind them, traveling on a torrent of water. Altaria's glow increased until it was so bright people were shielding their eyes; even Wendy was crying, "I can't see! I can't see!"

And then Altaria banked and swooped around, her glow becoming more manageable; people looked again, clapping before the move was even properly executed. Altaria hurtled toward Goldeen in a glowing streak, clipping it and knocking the Pokémon out of its torrent so that it tumbled back toward the pool below. The hit caused Altaria to lose a bit of momentum, however, and she flipped, losing her glow immediately and coming to a shaky hover in the air.

"Oh, no," Cassandra gasped. She glanced at her points bar; she was surely going to be docked for that mistake.

"Cassandra Étoile, the Honey-Haired Princess of Nature, has _won_! Sakura Konohana's points are nonexistent; Cassandra is the champion!"

"What?" Cassandra asked dazedly. She looked up at Sakura's points; sure enough, they were gone. She looked at her own almost-full bar in amazement. Had they docked her at all for Altaria's mistake?

People were screaming, cameras were all around, Wendy was walking toward her and proclaiming her magnificent—she had really done it. She had won! Who cared if the judges hadn't seen Altaria's little mishap? She had won! She was going to be sponsored by Devon Corporation! She was the _winner_!

"Come over here with me," Wendy was saying, wrapping her arm around Cassandra's shoulders. She led her to the podium she had been perched upon at the beginning of the contest—which felt like ages ago to Cassandra—and instructed her to stand on a little piece of blue tape. Altaria came and drifted beside her. A tall woman with her dark hair pinned back in a bun stood there now, smiling and holding the wooden box that had been perched on the podium. "Introducing Mrs. Rosemary Freidman, Madame President of Lilycove Contest Hall!"

Mrs. Freidman nodded as Wendy stepped out of the way. "Miss Cassandra Étoile," she said, her voice magnified by the little microphone on the lapel of her black business suit, "it is my pleasure to present to you this ribbon in recognition of your winning the Master Rank Contest." She opened the box, revealing a large light blue ribbon trimmed in gold, about twice the size of the other contests' and ten times as beautiful; Wendy held the box as Mrs. Freidman removed it from its velvet casing and stepped forward, deftly pinning it to Cassandra's dress. She then shook Cassandra's hand. "Congratulations, Miss Étoile."

"Thank you!" Cassandra breathed, hoping that her handshake was as firm as Mrs. Freidman's. One of the judges—she wasn't paying attention to which—gave her a bouquet of flowers, and she stood waving to the crowd, which was roaring and screaming and cheering for _her_, Cassandra Étoile, winner of the Master Rank Contest.

Wendy came up to her and put her arm around her shoulders again. "Cassandra," she said in a low voice. "You're supposed to head back to your lounge now. Your family will have cleared out, and a reporter will be there to interview you. Okay?"

Cassandra nodded mutely. Wendy talked back into the microphone, but Cassandra didn't know or care what she was saying—something about an after-contest show. In fact, performers were now entering the stadium. Cassandra waved to her sea of adoring fans and left, exiting the way she had come and walking along the hallway leading to her lounge.

And then, quite suddenly, a familiar person stepped out of one of the rooms. She had long black hair and a pale face, and her hoodie was striped black and red. Her jeans were ripped and torn. A Sneasel stood by her side, idly scratching its own back, and watched her bar Cassandra's way.

"Melba Wisely?" Cassandra asked incredulously.

"Before you go to the interview," Melba said, "your mother wants you." She jerked her thumb over her shoulder, indicating a small room further down the hallway.

"What—?

Melba stepped out of her way. "Go."

Confused, Cassandra walked further down the hallway. Her mother wanted her? And she had sent Melba Wisely? What in the world was Melba Wisely doing here anyway? Was this a _dream_? She pinched herself and winced. Negative on the dream.

"—Cassandra," Joanna's voice said, drifting from the room.

"She won, didn't she?" a man's voice asked back. It wasn't her father's; frowning, Cassandra stepped closer, listening.

"But now you're asking for more money," Joanna replied crossly. "That wasn't the deal."

"It was more difficult than I thought," the man replied. "That Sakura girl had offered quite a lot to Mrs. Wilkes-Bradley, and she was her mentor, anyway. The price is directly proportional to the amount of work I had to do."

"She's already won. I shouldn't have to pay you any more than previously agreed."

"I could report you. The girl would lose the ribbon."

"You do that, Mr. Ince, and you'll find that you're suddenly short several loyal customers as well as donations. I pay you the original price and throw in an extra donation to your store."

"Fine. You do drive a hard bargain, Mrs. Étoile. You must care about your daughter."

"I want her to win."

Cassandra's blood had run cold. What was this? Mr. Ince was the CEO of Lilycove Department Store, and a judge. Was Joanna…_bribing_ him? Was that how she had won? It made sense now—the fact that her points never seemed to get docked too much, how Zachary had hardly gotten any points at all, how she got no penalty for Altaria's mistake during the Sky Attack…it all made sense. Joanna had bribed a judge. She hadn't really won.

Cassandra banged open the door to the small meeting room to see Joanna hand a stack of money to Mr. Ince. They both jumped as she entered.

"Cassandra dear, what are you—?"

"What are you _doing_?" Cassandra snapped viciously. "Did you bribe a judge so that I would win?"

Joanna placed a hand on her hip. "Honestly, Cassie. How did you expect to win otherwise?"

"Through _talent_, Mother! And determination!"

Joanna laughed. "Darling, that's not how these contests work."

"Well, that's how _I_ work, and if I can't do things honestly, I don't want to do them at all!"

Mr. Ince backed slowly away, tucking the money into his inside pocket. Joanna didn't seem to notice; her face had paled. "What do you mean?"

"I'm giving this ribbon back," Cassandra replied, her voice low. "I'm going to march right back into that stadium and hand this stupid thing right back to Wendy Karr, because I don't deserve it. I didn't earn it." She started unpinning the ribbon.

"You do that," Joanna said, "and I'll cut you off! Devon Corporation won't take you if you're not at Master Rank, and I'm not going to waste my money on some failure of a daughter!"

"Failure?" Cassandra snapped, the ribbon successfully off her dress now. "I'm not a failure, Mother. I could have won this contest on my own, but you had to step in and mess everything up. And if this is how Hoenn is—if this is the way contests go—then I don't want any part of them. Bribing, giving Pokémon drugs…that's no way to compete." She turned on her heel.

"I mean it!" Joanna cried, hurrying after Cassandra as she left the room. "I will _cut you off_!"

"Then do it!" Cassandra yelled, turning back to face her. "Cut me off! I don't want to accept money from you anyway! You've never been a proper mother to me—Dorothia was always much more loving! I can't even stand talking to you. I'm not a failure of a daughter; you're just confused, because you're a failure of a mother."

And with that, Cassandra left her mother standing dumbstruck in the hallway. She marched past Melba Wisely and her Sneasel and right into the stadium, where Mrs. Friedman and Wendy Karr were still standing by the podium, watching some sort of dance performance. Cassandra walked around the stage; people began to notice her, and they started whispering, wondering at the expression on her face and the fact that she had her ribbon in her hand.

Surprised, Mrs. Friedman turned to Cassandra; all activity stopped. "What is it, Miss Étoile?"

Cassandra shoved the ribbon back into her hands. "I don't deserve this. This isn't mine. I won this dishonestly because my mother bribed a judge. Did you know that that sort of thing goes on here? That people bribe judges and use drugs to help their Pokémon perform better? I don't want any part of this lying, deceitful world; so here's your stupid ribbon." And with that, she turned and walked right back out. The stadium was alive with whispers as she left, and she was aware of everyone's eyes on her, but she found that she didn't care one bit.

Melba was waiting in the hallway for her. Cassandra stopped, staring at her. Finally, she simply said, "Why?"

Melba sighed. "I heard them talking earlier today," she said. "Discussing the terms of the bribe. I figured you would want to know."

"You didn't assume I'd asked her?" Cassandra asked.

"I'm a good judge of character. And I pretty much knew when I first saw you that you weren't the Konohana type. I lost to her in her Slateport contest, by the way," she added. "She won the same way you did today—her points kept going up, mine kept going down. You know…she's going to get the ribbon now. She was the runner-up."

"I don't care." Cassandra realized this was true as soon as she said it. "I don't care about contests anymore, even. I don't have a place in this world."

"But you're good," Melba told her. "You're really good. You shouldn't give up on contests altogether. I hear…I hear that Sinnoh is a lot more fair. When somebody tries to bribe a judge there, it's a huge scandal. They get arrested and banned from competing. I think there's drug tests."

A fair contest world? Cassandra ran her hands through her hair, thinking about it. She might be able to go there, if she hurried and withdrew her money from her account before Joanna could have it wired back. She would probably have enough to rent an apartment a little on the cheap side, but she would have to get a job…and that was fine. She didn't mind working.

"I've been thinking about going there," Melba admitted. "Somewhere _honest_…somewhere _fair_."

Cassandra nodded. "I know what you mean. Thank you," she told her. "Thank you so much for all your help."

"No problem. Hey…maybe one day I'll see you over there. We could battle again."

She smiled. "Maybe."

* * *

Cassandra sat cross-legged on the bed in Cove Lily, staring at her money. She had thought this through—she could ride Altaria to Sinnoh, eliminating ferry costs, and buy a small apartment somewhere near Hearthome City, maybe in Solaceon or Oreburgh. The cheapest Hearthome apartments were, regrettably, a bit out of a reasonable price range, especially since she wouldn't have a definite influx of money. She could do this, though. It was possible.

Karen came out of her own room, head hung down sadly. She sat on the edge of Cassandra's bed, her hands in her lap.

"I'm sorry I had to give up the ribbon," Cassandra told her.

Karen waved this comment away. "You had no choice. Your evil mother bribed a judge…it wasn't really your ribbon anyway. That's not why I'm sad."

Cassandra unfolded her legs and collected her money, carefully putting it into her purse before walking around the bed to sit beside Karen. She was still wearing her contest dress. "What's wrong?"

"I called my parents on the video phone." She sighed. "They won't let me to go to Sinnoh with you."

"Oh." A wave of disappointment almost strangled Cassandra. She had told herself that this was going to happen, but a small part of her had hoped that Karen would be able to go with her. Finding out that this wasn't possible was extremely sad. "I…I really wish you could go with me."

"Me too. What are you going to do without me?"

Cassandra laughed a bit. "I honestly don't know."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. So I guess you have to go back home tomorrow?"

"I have to go back home whenever you leave for Sinnoh."

Cassandra nodded. "I think I could fly you back to Rustboro City. You know, before I leave."

Karen smiled a little. "That would be nice. I've never flown before."

She stood and went over to the window. Night was falling now, and the reporters had been ordered away from the premises. Despite the fact that she had given up the ribbon, Lilycove Contest Hall still saw fit to have security guards escort her back to her hotel. She thought that was nice of them.

The ocean looked so inviting right now. She didn't particularly want to swim; she just wanted to sit by it and ponder.

"Hey, Karen? I'm going to get some fresh air. Wanna come?"

"No, I have some coloring to do. But be careful."

"I will."

Cassandra let all her Pokémon out, and they gathered around her as she walked from the hotel towards the beach. Her dress fluttered in the breeze behind her.

"Well, look who's still in her contest dress."

Cassandra turned. Sakura Konohana stood there, a hand on her hip and that strange gray Glaceon at her side. She wore jeans and a gray-and-dark-blue striped sweater. A cigarette dangled from her fingers, and she brought it up to her lips to take a drag. She was still wearing all her makeup from the contest, but her hair was hanging down messily.

"What do you want?"

Sakura flicked some ashes to the ground. "Nothing. Just to gloat about getting the ribbon. I heard your mother bribed a judge—you couldn't beat me without a bribe."

"I beat you back in Verdanturf, and any time you want to fight me on equal ground, I'll do it and beat you then." Cassandra placed a hand on Fluffy's head to calm him, since he was growling low in his throat. "Unlike you, I don't _need_ bribes to win contests."

"Well, you gave up the ribbon, and now it's me who's won the Master Rank. I'm getting sponsored by Lilycove Department Store. And you'll be sponsored by…um…let's see…_nobody_." She grinned wickedly. "Isn't that a shame? I'll enjoy lording my success over you."

"I won't be here for you to lord it over," Cassandra told her. "I'm leaving. I'm going somewhere where things are _fair_."

"Where?" Sakura demanded. "There's no such place. You think Sinnoh's going to be free of drugs and bribes? It won't be." She took a drag on her cigarette. "But hear this, Cassandra Étoile. This is personal now. And wherever you go…I'll follow. You heard me right," she added as Cassandra's eyes narrowed. "I'll follow you and I'll crush you." She threw the cigarette to the ground and put her foot on it, grinding it into the dirt. "So I'll see you again one day. And I'll always be looking down on you."

"It's hard not to look down from a pedestal you put yourself on," Cassandra retorted. "But you go ahead and follow me, Sakura. Waste your time trying to defeat me again. But as far as I'm concerned, I've won. Technically, you never _won_ that ribbon. You only got it because I _gave_ it to you. And people will always know that."

With that, Cassandra turned and walked off, leaving Sakura bristling angrily behind her.

**To: **dingdongbelle, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject: **well…

* * *

I'm sure you guys saw the contest on TV. And I'm sure you're wondering why I gave up the ribbon.

My mother bribed a judge. And now she's cut me off, and I'm going to go to Sinnoh because I hear the contests there are fair. I'm going to live there and get a job. Karen can't go with me, but I think I'll be okay.

I think I'll leave in two more days.

Love,

Cassandra

* * *

_Oh my goodness, guys, we're almost to Chapter 50! Things are settling down a bit in my hectic life, so soon I'll be able to start thanking reviewers personally again; but alas, that day has not yet come. =( Thank you for bearing with me, though!_


	50. Chapter 49

The whole room swam and spun in several different ways that exemplified exactly what a room ought not to do—Alyssa groaned. There was a throbbing pain in her head, which the spinning did not help, and her leg felt stiff and heavy.

A small flurry of activity ensued around her as soon as the groan left her lips; she felt someone take hold of her hand and heard, surprisingly clearly, a voice saying, "Alyssa? Alyssa? Are you awake?"

Alyssa painfully turned her head; the room tipped perilously, and then things started coming into focus. A blurred shape stood next to her. She was on a bed of some sort, which had a white comforter. The walls were a very light blue-green with white molding; something smelled of disinfectant. She blinked and could see that the blurry person was actually Ian, who smiled as she seemed to focus on him.

"You need to stop passing out during missions," he told her.

Alyssa allowed herself a smile in reply. She looked around the room once more; Mr. McFayer stood quickly from a squishy-looking blue chair and crossed the room. "You're awake," he said.

"Yeah," Alyssa responded. "Why did you lie about the vision?"

"Maybe we should talk about something else," Ian said softly, squeezing her hand. "You just woke up—"

"It's okay," Mr. McFayer grunted. "Little Danes saw the factory on fire. I didn't want to alarm the rest of the team; I thought if you knew, you would think the mission was hopeless, which it wasn't. The vision didn't indicate whose fault the fire was, so there was as good a chance as any that the mission would be a success…that was a mistake on my part."

"But it _was_ a success," Alyssa told him.

"Yes," he agreed, glancing at Rhunso, who hovered beside him. "But at what cost?"

Alyssa opened her mouth to say something about Ziggy, but words failed her. She felt tears brim up; she glanced at Ian, but his eyes were downcast, his face angled towards the floor. At what cost, indeed?

"We did shut the factory down," Ian said finally. "And…we rescued the Pokémon."

_All except for one,_ Alyssa thought. She closed her eyes and swallowed heavily.

The door swung open, and Jean and Exis stood in the doorway. Seeing Alyssa open her eyes and look at her, she squealed with delight and ordered Exis to stay outside; she rushed to Alyssa's side. "You're awake! You had a pretty bad head injury, but luckily there wasn't any internal bleeding—and your leg is broken."

"Oh?" Alyssa was faintly surprised at this news—she had forgotten that she would be injured. She glanced down at her body, the shape of which she could see beneath the white blanket. Her left leg looked incredibly bulky.

Ian gently squeezed her hand. "And…the skin on your leg might never be the same."

"Why?"

He and Jean glanced at each other before he replied. "You had some pretty serious burns, just like…" At this, he bit his lip and looked away, and Jean cast her gaze toward her feet.

"Just like Ziggy did?" Alyssa asked in a whisper, but no one heard her.

"Your parents are downstairs in the lobby," Mr. McFayer said. "I'll go tell them you're awake; they'll want to see you."

"My parents?" Alyssa asked as Mr. McFayer and Rhunso left the room, the door shutting softly behind them. "They came all the way from Chicole Village?"

"Ian went to get them on a Staraptor," Jean told her. "He said that they had met him, so it wouldn't be such a shock. Other than that, he never left your side."

Alyssa looked over at Ian, squeezing his hand, feeling the skin of his fingers against her palm. His eyes met hers and she felt a strange chill skip down her spine. He smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand, and she thought about the night they had sat together at the Ranger School, nestled together with Alyssa's mind alive with the realization that she loved him—and then she thought about the fact that she could have died. She could have died at the factory, and Ian wouldn't have known that she loved him. Or worse—what if he loved her, and she wouldn't have known as she died?

Once again, the door opened, but this time Alyssa's mother rushed through, ignoring Ian as she clapped eyes on her daughter's face. Warren came through a bit slower, but the smile that flickered at the corner of his lips let Alyssa know that he was happy.

"I'll go," Jean said. "See you later, Alyssa!" She left, and Ian went to follow, but Warren placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him very seriously; Ian stayed, keeping his hand on Alyssa's.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake," Diana Thompson cried, leaning down to hug her daughter as enthusiastically as she could without jostling her. Alyssa folded her arms over her mother's back briefly; they squeezed once before Diana pulled away. "We came over on the Staraptor your friend here caught just as soon as we could, we hardly even packed, and then when we got here and found out what had happened to your poor, sweet Ziggy, we knew you'd need us more than ever—"

Alyssa's blood ran cold; her eyes widened. So it was true. Ziggy…was dead.

The words rang through her head like the tolling of an enormous bell. Her friend, her partner…she would miss the nuzzling of his nose into her ear, the brush of his fur against her neck as he adjusted himself on her shoulder, the little irritated noise he made when she shifted in bed. Her eyes filled with tears; her worst fear had been confirmed. Her chest felt hollow, and it ached horribly as sobs rose through her, threatening to break out in front of her parents and Ian. She squeezed Ian's hand so hard she was certain that she'd hear his fingers break at any moment, and she closed her eyes against the tears that slipped out.

"Little Daisy," Warren said slowly, and she felt his hand on her shoulder.

Alyssa didn't answer. She decided that she couldn't cry now, in front of her parents; she would do it later that night, when darkness fell over the infirmary and she was alone. She opened her eyes and attempted a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. "I'm okay," she told them.

"Was it a difficult mission?" Diana asked.

"No," Alyssa told her. "Not really. We just…messed it up somehow."

"This is a dangerous line of work, especially for someone your age…maybe you should quit, or move to Kanto or Johto and become a Trainer."

Alyssa sighed weakly and turned her head away from her parents, staring instead at the square window with its white curtains. She could see the blue sky and the green stretches of land around the Ranger Union HQ. Without Ziggy, did she really have the courage to continue being a Ranger? Could she ever bring herself to feel close to a Pokémon again?

"She's tired," Warren said. "Come back later."

Alyssa looked over at her parents again. She did feel extremely weary all of a sudden; she watched them go, their backs moving toward the door, Warren's arm loosely around Diana's waist. "Love you," she said to them.

They paused to look over their shoulders at her. Diana smiled. "We love you too, honey."

"Little Daisy."

And then they left.

Alyssa's head sank back into her pillow, and she closed her eyes, breathing heavily. She felt Ian's hand withdrawing from hers, but she tightened her grip. "Don't go," she whispered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

She fell asleep.

* * *

Waking up again was an arduous task; the room tilted and warped, and she fell back into a strange dream in which a cave full of fire tumbled around her, and then another that somehow involved Belle, Cassandra, and a blurrily-outlined man Alyssa assumed to be Derrick. What finally pulled her through was the smell of syrup.

Alyssa opened her eyes. She couldn't tell if it was the next day or later on in the same day; Ian now sat in the squishy-looking chair, eating pancakes drowned in syrup. He glanced up at her, a bite halfway to his mouth.

"You're awake!" he said. "I just went down to the cafeteria to grab some lunch, and they were serving pancakes. I brought you some." He pointed to a white take-out box perched on the edge of the sink. "I don't know if you'll feel like eating."

Alyssa smiled. "Maybe." She watched Ian eat in silence, content simply to have his company. She tried not to let her mind wander.

When Ian had finished his last bite, he crumpled his own white box and tipped it into the trash can before crossing the room to stand at her bed. "How do you feel?"

"My head hurts a little."

Ian cupped his hand around hers. "Everyone feels terrible about what happened," he told her in a voice barely above a whisper, eyes cast downward. "Especially Karri."

"Karri?"

"It was Karri's fault the mission went south," he told her. "She split off from our team to go on her own; that's why she didn't escape when she had the chance. She didn't know that we had rescued all the Pokémon in the factory, and that's what she was doing. She said that her Espeon was trying to use telepathy to get you to rescue her."

"Oh," Alyssa said.

"So she's blaming herself for…what happened." He squeezed her hand.

"Tell me," Alyssa began in a quiet whisper, "how Ziggy—"

The door swung open. "Man, I almost missed her again! We have the best timing sometimes."

Karri Danes stood in the doorway, her long hair shifting around her shoulders, wearing regular jeans and a T-shirt, Siami the Espeon perching on her shoulder, and cradling a ruffled-looking, bandaged Zigzagoon.

Alyssa was so shocked she sat up, ignoring the dizziness and nausea that swept over her in a wave (and Ian's protests), her eyes locked on the lumpy Zigzagoon in Karri's arms.

"Ziggy!" Alyssa cried, holding out her arms. Her eyes filled with tears as the little Pokémon raised its head, its nose sniffling the air.

"Well hello to you, too," Karri said, crossing the room. She placed Ziggy in Alyssa's lap. "Careful with him, okay? He got tired on the walk, so I had to carry him back," she added to Ian.

Alyssa couldn't take her eyes off Ziggy. She couldn't believe it—he was alive, he was real, that was his weight pressing down on her legs as he shuffled awkwardly to find a comfortable position, that was his warm fur against her hands as she pet him gently, that was his outline blurring as tears spilled onto her cheeks. "I—I thought he was dead!" she gasped.

"What?" Ian said, dumbfounded. "We never said he was dead!"

"But all that talk—we succeeded, but at what cost—everyone feels bad about what happened—"

"Alyssa, if you haven't noticed, you're _injured_. You could have _died_." Ian shook his head. "Ziggy's not dead, but he does have some very serious burns, which is why he's bandaged. The bandages need changing every four hours or so, and Karri does that. She also takes him for walks."

Karri thrust her chin forward defiantly. "This doesn't make me like you," she told Alyssa. "But you saved my life, so I guess I owe you."

"Yeah, whatever," Alyssa said, waving her comment away. She twined her fingers into Ziggy's fur, eyes roaming his body to assess the damage. The bandages were all wrapped around his middle, and he had a line of stitches from his jaw down to his shoulder.

"I don't want to be friends," Karri continued. "I don't need friends."

"Karri, that is such a cry for help I'm not even going to begin to address it," Alyssa said, glancing up. "Just thank me for saving your life and consider your debt repaid."

"Thank you."

"Like you _mean_ it," she prompted, thoroughly enjoying her new power; she wasn't a saint.

"Thank you."

"I'm not convinced!"

Karri impatiently pushed her hair away from her shoulder, and Alyssa read her T-shirt—it said _SAVE THE WAILORD! _above a cartoony drawing of a Wailord in a fish tank. It didn't look at all like something Alyssa would expect her to wear. "Fine…thank you, Alyssa. You saved my life, and I'm grateful."

Alyssa smiled. "You're welcome. And thank you for taking care of Ziggy for me."

"I didn't do it for you," Karri snapped. "He's a lot easier to get along with."

"Thank you anyway."

Karri made a noise that sounded slightly like _humph_.

* * *

Over the next week, Alyssa felt well enough to leave her bed, but her doctor—a tall, balding man with glasses and a rather large nose—advised her not to walk, so she had to roll around in a wheelchair. She, too, had some burns, but she was told that she would recover from them much sooner than Ziggy would recover from his. About eight days after she woke up, Erma came to visit her, banishing everyone in the room except Mr. McFayer to the hallway outside. Alyssa, who had been sitting on the edge of her bed, struggled to stand, as she had been trying to do this the entire week.

"As you were, girl," Erma said sternly. "Sit back down."

"But I can stand—"

"She said sit," Mr. McFayer hissed, and Alyssa did so, the bulky cast on her left leg making it awkward.

"You're only sixteen," Erma told her.

"I'll be seventeen soon."

"You've hardly graduated. I think I've realized that you're too young for this kind of work."

"But—Chairperson Erma, I—I saved a ton of Pokémon in Marine Cave, I saved someone's _life_ at the factory, I've run countless quests for regular citizens—"

"Yes, you have. The Marine Cave incident was an example of an extremely rare type of incident in the life of a Vientown Ranger, or even a Pueltown Ranger. A Top Ranger's life is filled with things like that. It was a rash decision to promote you so young."

Alyssa's blood ran cold. "No," she said. "I—I promise I'll do better. I can—"

"It's not a question of whether or not you're a good Ranger," Erma said. "It's more of whether or not you're too young."

"I can do this job!" Alyssa shouted, sounding angrier than she had planned. Ziggy laid his ears back on his head. "Who cares how old I am if I can do the job and do it well?"

"Told you she'd react this way," Mr. McFayer grunted. "She's got spunk, this one. Calm down," he said to Alyssa. "Erma's not being clear; you're not being demoted."

Erma sighed. "Due to your injuries," she said, "I've seen fit to give you an indefinite leave. You need to recover in peace. I'm not saying you need to go back to your parents' house—in fact, I think it would be best if you weren't in Almia at all—but you need to take a very long vacation; not just because of your physical injuries, but your mental ones as well."

"Mental—?"

"You yell in your sleep," Mr. McFayer told her. "Flashbacks and such—happens to just about everybody. Sometimes people need vacations to get over these things."

"Your doctor says that you'll be able to move out of the infirmary next week," Erma said. "That should be enough time for you to solidify any plans that you may decide upon. When you leave HQ, you will be officially off duty."

Alyssa found herself extremely weary as Erma turned to leave the room; Mr. McFayer simply stared at her for a few long moments, waiting until Erma had shut the door to speak. "I know it's a shock," he told her. "But it's for your own good."

And with that, he left as well.

* * *

**To:** dancing_through_life

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** Favor?

* * *

Heyyyy.

You know how you said you were going to live in Sinnoh for a while? Well, I need to ask you something.

Because I'm too young for all the horrors of my career or something, Chairperson Erma has sent me on indefinite leave. I'll still get a paycheck every week, but I'll be off duty.

So how about it? If we split the rent on an apartment, we can get a nicer one (even without Joanna's help), and we can live together in Sinnoh for a while. Do you think that would be fun?

Get back to me soon, because I need to know by next week!

Love,

Alyssa

* * *

_Okay everyone, I'm back! Or at least, I'm trying to be. I'm thinking about getting back to regular updates-most likely on Tuesdays or Thursdays-but it'll take me longer than I'd like, probably every TWO weeks instead of every week. But now I have time to thank my reviewers! _

_Chapter 46:_

**_mo12341234 _**_(I'll bet you were glad to see this with its Ziggy-time. ;D)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(Thanks for your concern about my family issues. ^_^ And also your concern for Alyssa!)_

**_EmblemDeulist _**_(Lol, speechless, huh? Wow! XD)_

_Chapter 47:_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(Belle's father died in Sinnoh, killed by Team Galactic. I'm surprised I remember that enough to answer you...I wrote that, like, a year ago, maybe? o.0)_

**_Nevin Slate _**_(Wow, you were guessing ahead? AWESOME. But yep, you were wrong! XD)_

_Chapter 48:_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Thanks for your praise! XD And nothing seems to be below Joanna.)_

**_beatlesfan53 _**_(Well, here's what happens next! XD By the way, what's your favorite Beatles song?)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(Wow, you had a lot to say about this chapter! Joanna must have really made you mad! XD And thanks again for your concern! Things are better now. ^_^)_

**_X _**_(Wow, in one sitting? That must have taken you at LEAST an hour! And I can't tell you anything about Derrick ;D But thanks so much for your high praise!)_

_Well, that's all! Hopefully I'll have Chapter 50 (whoa o.0) up by next week or the week after._


	51. Chapter 50

Belle woke very suddenly. Her eyes snapped open, and her whole body felt on alert. She was primed for battle.

The house was quiet; this started the hours of when Terra would sit in the gym, waiting for challengers. Derek was probably still asleep. Belle got out of bed and dressed herself, the only sounds the rustling of fabric as she pulled it over her skin and Charmy's gentle breathing as he slumbered on her bed. She brushed her hair and considered putting it into a ponytail, but her scar showed too prominently that way. She traced her fingers over the bumpy skin. Her only regret about leaving so soon was that she wouldn't get to wait for Derrick—she had no doubt that he had continued his journey. He was strong that way.

Belle peeked into Derek's room. He was sleeping, one arm thrown across Poliwhirl. She felt a pang of guilt as she thought about how she would be separating those two shortly, and she eased the door shut, the feeling motivating her to make pancakes, which she did as quickly and quietly as she could. When she was done, she left them steaming on the counter, quietly returned Poliwhirl to his Poké Ball, and slipped through the front door of the house.

She couldn't very well use the Leader's entrance to the gym. She walked around the building, her feet whispering in the dewy grass. The chill of autumn was definitely in the air now, and she briefly wondered what the weather would be like in Sinnoh. The morning light was soft and gentle. She had always preferred the morning sun to the afternoon one; it seemed nicer, less harsh.

Belle finally found herself in front of the double doors leading to the gym. From this angle, they were formidable. They loomed over her threateningly, and she gazed up at them, her heart beginning to speed up. Several eternities passed.

Suddenly, Belle threw open the doors. The resultant square of sunlight illuminated the familiar dirt floor, the two Trainer platforms, and Terra, standing high on her platform in denim shorts and a green sweater, her bare toes tapping on the metal.

"Belle." She didn't seem surprised in the least. She simply gestured toward the opposite platform.

Belle stepped forward and let the huge doors swing shut behind her. She wordlessly made her way to the platform and climbed the ladder, the simple noises of her shoes hitting the metal resonating loudly within the otherwise silent atmosphere. She climbed onto the flat metal floor and stood straight and tall, leveling her gaze at her mother.

"This will be a six-on-six match. Switching out is permitted for the Challenger, but only between battles for the Leader." The sound of the referee's voice echoing through the gym seemed surreal. It was as though he didn't belong in this little world, as if this space consisted of nothing but Belle and Terra, and he was intruding. "Begin!"

Terra wasted no time in yelling "Caillech!" and throwing her Poké Ball, which opened for the Donphan.

"Go, Bellossum! Magical Leaf!"

"_Bell_!" Bellossum twirled, unleashing from her grass skirt a barrage of rainbow-colored leaves, which flew at Caillech and cut at him.

With a loud trumpeting sound, the Donphan stumbled sideways under the onslaught of such an (most likely) embarrassing attack from which to faint. It struggled valiantly to stay on its feet.

"I think I need a bit more time with Caillech," Terra said thoughtfully. "Rollout!"

"Dodge it, Bellossum!" Belle cried. "Come on, we've _got this_!"

Donphan tightened into a ball and barreled across the field, hurtling toward Bellossum at an alarming speed; the Grass Pokémon leapt for safety but was clipped by the whirling ball of tusks and armor, and it cried out as it fell against the floor.

"Come on, Bellossum! I believe in you! Razor Leaf!"

The Pokémon threw a brief look over its shoulder as if to say _"Really?" _before unleashing a fierce volley of leaves, all of which slammed into Caillech head-on, knocking him off his momentum and sending him flying backwards, landing in a crumpled heap on the other side of the field. He struggled to stand, but quickly slumped down again.

"Donphan is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Challenger wins the match!"

Terra smiled as she returned Caillech. "Oh, Belle," she said gently, letting another Poké Ball fill her hand. "This is fairly reminiscent of our last battle, is it not?"

Crap. She was starting to switch into Meditative Terra, and Belle knew her chances of winning would drop drastically if this happened. She would have to do something to catch her mother off-guard to snap her out of it.

"Tsukiyomi!"

The black Ninetails bounded onto the field. For just a moment, Belle was transported back in time to when she thought Ninetails were _always_ black, and she distinctly remembered asking her mother if a passing Ninetails had been dropped in bleach.

"Fire Blast!"

Oh, no. Her mother was coming out of the gate strong. "Bellossum, dodge! Counter with—something, or we're screwed!"

"There _is_ no dodging my Fire Blast!" Terra yelled. "Don't let it get away!"

And Tsukiyomi didn't. The giant fiery shape somehow twisted in midair to descend upon Bellossum, practically torching the little thing; it fell to the ground, fainted and blackened with ash.

_What the hell?_ Belle demanded of her own psyche as she returned Bellossum to its Poké Ball. _Why did she _startout_ with Fire Blast?_ People normally worked up to that sort of thing.

"Poliwhirl, let's go! Hydro Pump!"

The Pokémon burst from the Ball, shooting bullet-like globs water from the center of its stomach before its feet ever touched the ground. Tsukiyomi expertly maneuvered around the first few, but the fourth clipped its paw, causing it to falter; another one smashed it full on the chest.

"Tsukiyomi, your Earthquake, please."

Belle only had a few seconds to grapple at slippery ideas in her head before she decided upon anything; what she ended up screaming was a jumbled mix of "Jump!" and "Strangle it!", and she had no idea what she meant by either. Poliwhirl leapt into the air, attempting to obey her.

"Um—spray water at the ground, keep yourself airborne long enough to land on Tsukiyomi's back!" Her plan was coming to her now; she grasped the rail of her little box-platform hybrid. Poliwhirl did as it was told. Water shot from its hands in a concentrated beam, and it did a gentle forward-flip in midair before landing gracelessly on Tsukiyomi's back, grabbing at the fur there with its wet hands. "Surf!"

A gush of water erupted from Poliwhirl's central point again, this time in a huge flood that seeped into the cracks Tsukiyomi's Earthquake had put into the ground and, most importantly, slammed directly into the back of Tsukiyomi's head. The Ninetails pitched forward into the newly-made mud and slid several feet; Poliwhirl leapt off its back, still spewing high-pressure water in the black fox-like Pokémon's general direction and more often than not hitting its target. When the torrent of water finally stopped, Tsukiyomi flopped uselessly onto its side.

"Well then," Terra remarked, withdrawing it. "Skarmory!"

Belle gritted her teeth. She had hoped to use the mud against whatever Pokémon her mother chose next, but of _course_ she brought out the one that flew.

"Drill Peck!"

"Dodge!" Belle cried without thinking. Poliwhirl tucked and rolled, spiraling out of Skarmory's way as it rocketed towards the ground; noticing its negated chance of hitting, it quickly swooped back into the air, beating its great metal wings and cawing loudly. "Hydro Pump!"

Poliwhirl planted its feet as securely as it could in the mud and angled its stomach upward, shooting out a barrage of water-bullets for a second time. Though Poliwhirl normally had pretty good aim, Skarmory was fast; the water always seemed to just miss it or barely graze its steel feathers. One, however, slammed into Skarmory's tail, sending it into a wild tailspin.

"Right yourself, Skarmory!" Terra yelled. "Come back for a Steel Wing!"

Skarmory somehow managed to turn in midair, briefly hanging upside down before twisting and diving toward Poliwhirl.

"Jump up on its wing, Poliwhirl!"

"I will not fail to the same trick twice," Terra commented easily. "Don't let it do that, Skarmory."

As the giant metal bird neared, Poliwhirl leapt into the air in such a way as to land on its wing. Skarmory, however, had other plans; it quickly dropped its left wing, pivoting so that its right wing went straight into the air, and as it spun back around caught Poliwhirl on the upswing, sending it reeling backward and slamming into Belle's platform.

There was no recovering from that—Belle withdrew her Poliwhirl. The referee stood forgotten alongside the battlefield; he didn't belong here in this world filled with the ferocity of mother and daughter.

"Jolteon!" Belle cried, throwing out yet another Poké Ball. Skarmory had returned to its place high above the battlefield, flapping its wings to maintain altitude and gazing sharply down at the proceedings as though it were no more than an angry spectator.

"Agility," Terra spoke.

_This battle's gone on too long for my taste,_ Belle thought. _I don't want her prolonging it anymore._ "Paralyze it with Thunder Wave!"

Skarmory had disappeared in a blur of speed, but Jolteon shouted and released a wave of electric energy, which coursed through the room and left a tingly feeling along Belle's skin. Terra's hair briefly stood up on end.

Skarmory dropped to the ground like a stone, quite unable to move.

"Thunder Fang!"

Jolteon leapt forward, electricity leaping from its mouth as it bit right into Skarmory's neck and skipping along the length of the bird's body. Skarmory shuddered and cried out helplessly before passing out, its head smacking into the muddy ground. Jolteon bounded quickly away.

"Return, Skarmory! Amaterasu—Thunder Punch!"

"Dodge it!"

The Ampharos wasted no time in attacking; its little stub of an arm was already crackling with electricity as it burst from the Ball, and Jolteon leapt out of the way just in time. Amaterasu's punch caught the pole of Belle's platform instead, shaking it but not shocking her. She gritted her teeth. Her mother was trying to catch her off guard; Electric against Electric? She had two other Pokémon left—why didn't she use a different one? She glanced up at her mother's self-satisfied smile and something dawned on her—did Terra consider Belle…a _threat_?

It made sense. For one, all her Pokémon had come out attacking quickly and strongly, perhaps in hopes that with that first move Terra could injure the Pokémon enough to win. And now she was trying to catch Belle unawares with strange type matchups. Plus, there was a small wrinkle of worry forming between Terra's eyebrows.

Belle's doubts evaporated into thin air. Her shoulders and back straightened; her chin went up. She could do this. If her mother thought she could, then victory was certainly around the corner. "I'll do this in one move," Belle murmured to herself before shouting, "Last Resort!"

"Signal Beam!"

What happened next wasn't clear; Amaterasu began shouting as the gem atop its head gleamed so brightly it filled the whole room with blinding white light, making Belle throw her forearm over her eyes for protection. The sound of a small explosion followed, and when Belle chanced a look, the light was gone and both Pokémon lay fainted on the field.

The room was still for a moment. Both Terra and Belle looked over at the referee, who had given up attempting to judge the match and had taken on the role of spectator. The man shrugged. "I don't know what happened," he called. "At any rate, both of them are unable to battle, so, just move on."

Mother and daughter returned their Pokémon and wasted no time getting started again.

"Nix!"

"Primape!"

A Politoed and Primape erupted onto the field and promptly lunged into each other without instruction, each anticipating its master's orders; Primape reached for a Close Combat while Nix flung itself forward with a Body Slam. With a quickly-executed punch, Nix's Body Slam was thwarted, and it flew several feet, did some sort of somersault, and landed cleanly.

"Don't let it get close!" Terra snapped. "Use Bubblebeam!"

"_Rage_!"

A shiver went down Primape's spine; Belle had never instructed it to use this particular move. Rage was Primape's _specialty_. It lived and breathed this move. Rage was a part of Primape's being, part of its very soul; it beat in the Pokémon's heart, swirled in its stomach, snaked in its brain. _Rage was who Primape was_.

With a primeval roar, Primape rushed forward, bits of mud flying up from its heels. Powerful bubbles hit it but disturbed it not at all. Gathering speed, it bore down on Nix like a hairy freight train until the Politoed became unnerved and attempted to run.

Escaping an enraged Primape, however, is no easy task, and it cannot be done as a last-minute decision—Primape reached forward and took hold of Nix, lifting the thing above its head as it roared crazily before flinging it across the length of the battlefield, only to run after it again.

"Oh," was all Belle could say as she watched her Pokémon get into a pattern of throw, chase, throw, chase, as if it were in some sort of insane game of fetch. Periodically, Primape would stop and pummel Nix a bit before scooping it up for another throw, so that by the time it finally calmed down, Nix represented a pitiful figure, all crumpled into a muddy, beaten heap of crushed enthusiasm. Primape stopped, panting, hands hanging down as it fought for breath. Nix didn't move.

"Well," Terra said, withdrawing Nix. "It looks like I only have one Pokémon left."

Belle's hands curled into fists on the guardrail; this was it. She knew what she was coming up against here. This was her mother's first Pokémon, one that was not only powerful but, as Terra's oldest friend and partner, incredibly experienced. The red-and-white Poké Ball that Terra now turned over in her hand had never, in Belle's memory, gleamed and shined as though new, but had always been covered in scuffs and scratches, even dents. The paint had even begun to chip and fade so that the steel that made up the Ball had commenced to show through.

And then, without warning, she threw it.

Tall, powerful, neck stretching up to a bit over six feet, a battle scar beneath one eye, four limbs that weren't so much legs as tree-trunks—this was Terra's Pokémon. It fixed its cool yellow gaze on Belle, who gulped. She had never thought she would come against this Pokémon in battle—ever.

"Body Slam," Terra said.

The thing leapt into the air and soared with surprising grace for a Pokémon of its size, landing heavily on top of Primape and pushing him into the quickly-drying mud. When it stood and backed away, Primape was fainted.

"Good job, Meganium."

_"Ni!"_ Meganium agreed as Belle returned her Pokémon, reaching for her Ball. Her gaze locked with her mother's. They both knew that, regardless of the fact that Belle had another Pokémon, this would end here, no matter what. If Belle lost this battle, she would be forced to leave without the Earth Badge.

"Charmy!" Belle cried, throwing out her Poké Ball. Her Charizard rose gracefully to the ceiling, embers dropping from the flame on its tail. Rather than roaring, it remained silent; the atmosphere seemed to call for reverence.

Despite the obvious type advantage Charmy possessed, Meganium gazed calmly up at it as though it were no threat. It had, after all, seen—and possibly even beaten—Fire-Types before. A hush fell over the gym; the only sound was the gentle crackling of Charmy's tail-flame as the two Pokémon regarded each other carefully.

"Charmy," Belle said calmly, her voice ringing in the silence. "Wing Attack."

Charmy gave a mighty flap before his wings went rigid and he pitched forward, rocketing toward the unmoving Meganium.

"Reflect."

A sheen of light sprang up in front of Meganium; Charmy smacked into it and bounced back, slamming down onto its back and splattering mud and dirt everywhere. Terra's Pokémon hadn't even twitched.

Belle gritted her teeth. "Charmy, Flamethrower!"

With a roar, Charmy opened his mouth to allow fire to pour out of it, surging toward Meganium with a cyclone-like beam of crackling heat—

"Light Screen," and a small box of light surrounded the defending Pokémon, around which the flames parted harmlessly.

_Ba-dump._ Belle felt her heart beat, and it seemed so loud that she could have sworn it echoed around the cavernous hall. Silence stretched into the space, ringing in her ears and making her muscles tense, and she felt a bead of sweat slip from her forehead and onto her nose.

"Tackle," Terra said.

Meganium leapt forward; Charmy gave a powerful flap of his wings and soared upward and out of reach, circling once around the battlefield as Meganium landed heavily in the mud before pivoting around, keeping its eyes on its opponent.

"You see, I can't let Charmy get a hit in," Terra explained calmly. "He _does_ have a double advantage. Isn't that right, Meganium?"

The great grass Pokémon made no reply; it continued to watch Charmy's circuitous path around the rafters. Belle watched him also, her eyes locking onto his as they shared a common thought: _We're screwed._

"I have battled Fire-types before," Terra continued, "and I've developed a very simple strategy that almost always wins. You should consider adopting it for when you absolutely must pit your Bellossum against a Fire."

Charmy cut in a tight circle and flew in the opposite direction; Meganium's gaze didn't waver.

"Instead of telling you, I'll just show you. You were always a visual learner, anyway."

Belle nodded.

Charmy dipped one wing and went into a tight spiral as it dived toward Meganium—"Reflect!" Terra shouted, and the shield leapt up in front of the creature that was more statue than Pokémon, but Charmy opened his huge maw and out surged a huge pillar of flame, which cut through Meganium's Reflect and bathed the pour thing in fire. The Charizard banked sharply and swung upward and away.

"Meganium!" Terra cried; the Pokémon was on its knees, wincing in pain. "Are you okay? Synthesis!"

_"Ni,"_ the Pokémon grunted as a light surrounded it; when the light was gone, Meganium was back on its feet, looking as though nothing had happened.

_Crap._ She had forgotten about Synthesis. If she was to beat her mother, Belle would have to unleash a series of attacks in quick succession that would leave Meganium no time to heal itself. That was easier said than done, since only one of her attacks so far had hit, and she didn't think Terra would fall for the same trick twice.

"Ancient Power!" Terra cried.

_"Mega!" _Glowing rocks rose from the ground, hovered for a moment, and then shot straight for Charmy, who gave a startled cry and twisted hurriedly out of the way. A single rock collided with the base of his tail; roaring in pain, the Charizard plummeted toward the battlefield.

"Charmy, get a hold of yourself! You're okay! Come on!" Belle gritted her teeth as Charmy righted himself, flapping his wings to gain altitude. Meganium was still staring steadily at its opponent, and Belle knew that as long as Meganium maintained eye contact, it would never miss. She cursed herself for forgetting about Ancient Power; it had been so long since she had seen Terra battle, though.

Wait…as long as Meganium _maintained eye contact_…

That was it. She knew how to win. She knew how to beat her mother. "Charmy, Smokescreen!" As black smoke flooded through the room, obscuring the battlefield, Belle privately rejoiced at her intuition. She remembered using this tactic successfully with Sabrina; no doubt it would work here, as well. _Can't fight what you can't see,_ she thought smugly. She trusted Charmy to know when to make its attack.

"Very clever," came Terra's voice, drifting across the battlefield and through the gloomy smoke. "You are, indeed, a good Trainer—obscuring your opponent's vision is a _very_ good strategy. This does come with a certain amount of risk, however, since you can no longer see, either. What if your foe has a way to get around this?"

Belle's self-satisfied smirk vanished from her face.

"Meganium, Magical Leaf!"

There was the sound of something like so many arrows whistling toward their target, followed promptly by Charmy's roar of pain.

"Ancient Power!"

"Charmy, get rid of the Smokescreen!"

Charmy flapped his wings to dispel the smoke just in time to dodge the rocks at him; bellowing in confusion, he made another circle around the battlefield.

Belle didn't know what to do. She still thought breaking Meganium's line of vision was the best way to go, but Smokescreen proved useless, and she had no other move like it in Charmy's repertoire. What could she do? "God, Belle, think," she murmured. How could she mix together stealing Meganium's eyesight and rapid-fire attacks?

"Charmy—Fire Spin, with as big of a circumference as you can make it!" Her heart began to hammer. This idea was crazy, but it might work—as long as she didn't set the gym on fire.

A large circle of flame formed around Meganium before spiraling upward, forming something of a tornado that roared and spit as it churned the air, casting searing heat all around. _Try and get a Magical Leaf through that,_ Belle thought. Not only would Meganium not be able to see Charmy coming, it wouldn't be able to _hear_ him, either; the fire was too loud. And if it tried to venture outside the cyclone, it would fry itself in the process.

The sound of the fire was so loud that Belle couldn't hear Terra's reaction, and it was so incredibly large that she couldn't _see_ it either. Sweat began to slide down her face in earnest—she would have to end this battle quickly, hopefully before she had a heat stroke. "Charmy! Charmy, can you hear me?"

The Charizard appeared, flapping his way around the perimeter of the blaze, watching Belle for his next instruction.

"Go in there," she shouted, pointing, "and hit Meganium for all you're worth—Fire Blast, then Wing Attack!"

Charizard growled his approval before peeling away and plunging into the inferno, creating a small window through which Belle could see him let loose a large Fire Blast. The flame closed back before she could see the rest; she waited impatiently, sweat creeping down her spine, until Charmy flew back toward her. "Is it done?" she asked. "No? Go back in! Flamethrower!"

Once again, Charmy dipped into the flaming cyclone. When he came back out, Belle instructed him to close the Fire Spin in on Meganium.

This would be easier said than done. The thing was so large that it would be much easier to just let it dissipate altogether; but Charmy set to work gradually shrinking the circumference, sweat even popping up on his forehead as the edges gently inched toward the center, the top of it shrinking. As the fire retracted, Belle felt a wave of cool air wash over her. Her sweat seemed to freeze on her body.

Finally, the Fire Spin was down to a small cyclone that collapsed onto Meganium before disappearing completely, leaving a fainted Meganium lying on the battlefield.

Belle glanced up at Terra, who was breathing heavily and holding her hair back from her head. The woman smiled hugely as her eyes met Belle's.

"Meganium is unable to battle!" the referee shouted. "Challenger wins!"

* * *

Belle smiled as Terra folded her into her arms. "That was a great job, sweetie," she said. "I didn't realize just how rusty I was—ordinarily, I wouldn't let a rookie Trainer like you beat me."

"Rookie?" Belle asked in disbelief. "I'd gotten _seven_ badges!"

"Was it a really cool battle?" Derek asked wonderingly.

"You should have seen Belle's Fire Spin," Terra answered. "It was so big, I couldn't see across the battlefield!"

Derek's mouth dropped open in pure, unadulterated awe, and Belle smiled as Terra loosed her from the embrace. They were standing in the kitchen, Belle's new Earth Badge gleaming in her hand, the smell of her recent shower drifting off her, as they discussed Belle and Terra's battle. Even though Belle was still riding the high from her victory, there was that nagging feeling in the back of her mind that was pushing her to leave as soon as she could for Sinnoh and the mystery of her father.

"So, what are you gonna do now?" Derek asked cheerfully.

Belle glanced at Terra, who gently ruffled Derek's hair and said, "Hey, I think it's about time for that talk show that's having Professor Oak today."

He looked at the kitchen clock on the wall and gasped. "_You're right_!" He scuttled out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"I'm leaving," Belle said quietly. "In three days at the most."

Terra sighed. "Did the Rockets get to you?"

"Uh…not really. Cassandra's going to Sinnoh for a while—I think she needs some support."

"_Sinnoh_?" Terra bit her lip.

"I'll be in Hearthome City only," Belle said. "I'll fly directly there and meet up with Cassandra." _You're such a liar,_ she thought to herself, but she pushed that thought away. "I just battled through eight badges…I need some time off to…y'know…train and stuff. Plus, you saw Cassandra's Contest on TV…and I read you that email. She needs me."

Terra glanced down at her feet, sliding a bare toe across the kitchen floor. "I can't exactly forbid you, can I?"

"No," Belle replied firmly. "I'm going."

The weight of Belle's father's demise seemed to press in on them, a force stronger than spoken words. Terra seemed as though she didn't quite know what to say; her fingertips tapped soundlessly on the counter, her foot slid back and forth, she bit her lip. "Fine," she said finally, in a small voice. "Just…I want you to be careful."

"I will be," Belle told her immediately, feeling a twist of guilt in her stomach. Did she lie _that_ convincingly? "I…promise."

* * *

**To:** dancing_through_life

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Re:** Heyy…

* * *

Hey Cassandra!

First things first: I GOT MY EARTH BADGE! My battle with Mom was totally epic.

Okay, now the next thing…you know how you're gonna go live in Sinnoh? Well, I'm gonna come and live with you. How's that?

So, if you could just email me with where you wanna meet and stuff…I'm packing right now, and I'll probably leave in a few days.

Love,

Belle

P.S. ANSWER SOON PLEEEAASSEEE

* * *

_Hey everybody! This chapter actually took me a long time to write because I couldn't figure out how to write the battle. -_-_

_At any rate, thank you THANK YOU to those who reviewed!:_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(Fate indeed! HoHO!)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(I'm not telling if you're right or wrong about the riddle! XD ...though...everyone's already guessed the same thing...)_

_Thanks guys!_


	52. Chapter 51

Cassandra offered her hand to Karen, who hesitated. It was only a bit difficult to see the girl's form in the predawn light.

"It's all right," she told her. "Come on."

Karen took a breath before placing her fingers in Cassandra's palm; she pulled the pink-headed girl up to sit nestled behind her on Altaria's back. Tuffly struggled to fit behind Karen, but they managed, and Altaria lifted without any problem—she was a Dragon, after all.

"Oh," Karen's voice said in Cassandra's ear as the ground fell away beneath them. Altaria glided forward at a good pace, and the wind picked up, blowing the girls' hair back from their faces. "Oh," Karen repeated. Altaria soared upward for more altitude; the clouds drew closer and the ground almost disappeared. "Oh," Karen said again.

Cassandra let out a laugh. She had flown before, and hearing Karen's reaction reminded her of that initial flight, the feathers of Joanna's Staraptor rough against the skin of her legs.

"How do you like flying?" Cassandra asked, turning her head slightly to get a glimpse of Karen's face; a giant smile greeted her.

"It's _amazing_." She sat up, withdrawing her grip from Cassandra's waist, and Cassandra turned back toward the front to let Karen have a moment alone with the wind.

"You know the way, right?" Cassandra asked of Altaria. All she got in response was a slight coo; she took this in the affirmative. They flew in silence for a while, their luggage dangling from Altaria's unseen talons, and Cassandra entertained the thought of what their silhouette looked like from the ground. Were they low enough for people to see them? She glanced down at the green-and-brown patchwork quilt that was the ground, dotted with tiny colored squares that Cassandra guessed were houses, and decided that they were too far up to be perceived. Somehow, this gave her a strange sense of ownership over this little world that contained her, Altaria, Karen, Tuffly, and the slowly rising sun, travelers simply passing over the earth below and looking down on the pretty parts; tourists, almost.

"When are we going to get there?" Karen asked.

Cassandra blinked and brought herself back to reality; she began to really examine the land below. "Hm…there's Mauville over there," she said, pointing to a cluster of buildings to the south. "And that cloud of ash means Lavaridge is over there." She pointed to the north. "So…Rustboro isn't far away. Maybe twenty minutes."

"Oh." Strange how much emotion could be packed into one syllable; the whole mood shifted downward, and suddenly the air was tinged with sorrow.

Cassandra felt her chest ache a bit. She would arrive in Rustboro soon; and then, when she left, she would be leaving Karen behind.

The PokéCenter's blaringly red roof was the first thing Cassandra spotted, so Altaria touched down right outside it, gently laying the suitcases down first. She stood there preening while Cassandra gathered up the bags.

"So…where do you live?"

Karen tipped her head to the side. "You want to go to my house?"

"Well, I want to walk you home and meet your parents."

The girl considered this for a few moments before nodding. "Okay. Follow me." And without warning, she set off.

Cassandra called out Finny to carry the bags; he followed behind as Cassandra tried desperately to keep track of Karen in the surprising throng of Rustboro's streets. Most of the time, the only things she could see were Tuffly's bright pink ears flopping jauntily among the bodies.

When Karen turned down a side street, Cassandra nearly lost her; but once again, Tuffly's ears saved her, and when she, too, turned the corner, she found this street much easier to manage. They were obviously in the residential district now, since nice cottage-style houses rose on either side of her. The people here seemed that they either lived here, were lost, or were taking a shortcut. Cassandra counted herself among the middle of the three, especially when Karen led her down another side road.

The girl wound down these streets like a Rattata in a maze that had most certainly gotten a whiff of the cheese and was quite confident on how to get to it. Soon, the paved road turned to dirt beneath Cassandra's feet, and the houses grew sparse and far less nice; it wasn't the slums, per se, but it was considerably substandard. "Almost there," Karen said in a tone that suggested she thought she was being fully helpful. Cassandra's feet had just begun to ache when they turned a corner and her eyes landed on what was most definitely Karen's house.

While most of the houses here sat in a dirt yard, this yard was covered with all sorts of greenery—grass, trees, berry bushes—and occupied with several different species of Pokémon. The house itself was small and painted the brightest shade of yellow one could imagine, with a slanted blue roof. Jaggedly round stepping stones led the way from the dirt road to concrete steps painted a myriad of colors, which, in turn, led to the brightly-painted door. Cassandra was surprised the stepping stones themselves weren't painted, but when she drew closer and saw that they were—a drawing of the sun adorned each of their centers—she almost laughed out loud. This was the most comical place she had ever seen, though admittedly the most interesting. It matched Karen perfectly.

"This is it," Karen said unnecessarily, gesturing to the squat yellow house in all its obvious glory. She walked up to the house, making sure to press her foot into the center of each sun on each stepping stone.

Before Karen could even reach the steps the door flew open and a rather young-looking woman came out, smiling brightly. She wore a loose-fitting shirt with flowing sleeves that was printed with large colorful flowers, and her bright blue hair cascaded down her shoulders. Her long skirt was smudged with dirt and paint, as was her heart-shaped face. As Cassandra watched, the woman opened her arms and pulled Karen into them.

"Karen!" the woman exclaimed happily. "It's so good to have you home!"

"Hi, Mom," Karen replied. "This is Cassandra."

"Far out," Karen's mother—_Chryssi, right? Yes, Chryssi,_ Cassandra thought—cried with a smile. "Come on in! The Pokémon can either stay outside and play with the Pokémon here or come in with you." With that, Chryssi promptly turned and went inside, Karen following. Cassandra quickly let Ellia and Fluffy from their Poké Balls; Fluffy insistently followed Cassandra up the walk, but the rest stayed outside to sniff curiously around the brilliant yard. Karen grabbed Cassandra's sleeve and hauled her into the house, shutting the door behind her.

The inside was just as interesting as the outside—the living room was small and somewhat cramped, seeing as there were strange-looking bits of plants scattered about almost every surface. The carpet was bright green and looked almost like grass, and the walls were bluer than any summer sky Cassandra had ever seen. The furniture was mismatched: an orange-and-white striped couch against one wall; an old recliner made of faded leather that had once been bright purple; an oak coffee table littered with plants that was now the chosen perch of a Jumpluff; a cherry-wood end table, also littered with plants, sitting next to the arm of the couch; a tall floor lamp with a polka-dot lampshade by the door; and a large window where, ordinarily, a TV would have gone—that is, directly across from the couch. The whole room actually seemed to be centered around the window, as if they watched the backyard instead of television. Behind the recliner was the kitchen counter, and the kitchen was every bit as colorful and mismatched as the living room; a Slowbro stood right at the linoleum, staring vapidly towards the couch.

"Enja! Karen's home!" Chryssi called, gently prodding the Jumpluff off the coffee table. She sat down on the couch and pulled some plants toward her.

"Way awesome," said a slow, drawn-out voice from somewhere down the hallway behind Cassandra; she turned. There were three doors down that hallway.

"I'll make tea," Karen said, heading toward the kitchen. Tuffly bounced after her but stopped to gleefully reunite with Jumpluff.

"No, that's okay," Cassandra said. "I should leave soon—"

"You'll want this tea," Karen replied as she slid between the Slowbro and the counter. "It will keep you awake and alert for your flight to Sinnoh."

"How thoughtful of you, Karen," Chryssi said brightly. "Can't have you falling asleep in midair, Honey Princess!"

"Oh—uh—yeah," Cassandra agreed feebly, not sure what to do. She felt Fluffy press against her leg; his ears were up and he was gazing around warily.

"So, Cassandra." Chryssi grabbed a small bowl and pulled it toward her. "Karen likes you very much. She's very in-tune with your chi."

"Oh, uh…thank you."

"I can tell she's had an influence on you." The woman looked up and smiled. "I'm in-tune with auras."

"Yeah," Cassandra agreed uncertainly.

"Oh, have a seat!" She patted the couch beside her, and Cassandra drifted over to sit stiffly. "So, Na-dra—can I call you Na-dra?"

"Um…sure."

"So, Na-dra—I'm sorry we can't let Karen go with you to Sinnoh, but that's just too far away."

"She can, like, visit…when she turns…sixteen."

"Oh, Enja! You're up!" Chryssi smiled up at the man who had entered the room, and Cassandra turned her attention toward him. He was unbelievably tall and more than a little gangly; his plain brown shirt was lopsided, as though it hadn't been made quite right, and his pants stopped just short of his ankles. His bare feet were long and thin, as were his hands. But it was his hair that really got Cassandra—it was long, trailing between his shoulder blades, and pulled into a loose ponytail. And it was _pink_. Bright, crazy, loud pink, just as pink as Karen's hair.

Cassandra supposed she had always assumed that Karen had gotten her hair color from her mother. Now, however, she realized that she had been completely wrong, and the man that stood before her stroking his thin pink goatee was the actual donor of Karen's locks.

"So…this…is Honey Princess," Enja said slowly, drawing out his words. An unhurried smile crept across his face. "Nice to finally…meet you…in person. It…was a good thing…giving back your ribbon."

"We watched the whole thing on the PokéCenter TV," Chryssi said, touching her fingers to Cassandra's wrist briefly. "And when Karen called and explained, we were so indignant! Right, honey?"

"In…dig…nant," Enja agreed.

"Tea?"

Karen had appeared in front of her, an anchor of (somewhat) normalcy in this sea of absurdity, and she took the teacup the girl offered. "Thank you," she said, and she took a sip for lack of anything better to do. "Oh…this is _delicious_."

"Thank you," Chryssi said. "We grow the herbs right there in our backyard." She pointed out the window, and Cassandra was unable to see which bush she had singled out among the veritable ocean of vegetation that grew there. Tons of different Pokémon flitted in and out of the garden—no wonder they watched the backyard instead of TV.

"Hi, Dad!"

"Hey…my little…pink pumpkin." Enja slowly opened his arms and then slowly folded them over his daughter; it was somewhat like watching a flower bud open and close. "Did you…have fun?"

"Yes," Karen replied. "I was Cassandra's coach."

"Oh, I _thought_ I felt something different about your aura!" Chryssi said happily, clapping her hands. "You're more confident!"

Cassandra raised her eyebrows and looked at Karen. How could that girl possibly have been any more confident than the matter-of-fact one she had met that first day in the Pokémon Center? "She was very helpful," Cassandra heard herself saying. "I'll miss her a lot."

"Oh," Chryssi gushed sympathetically, reaching over to pull Cassandra into a hug. "It's okay—I'm positive you'll meet again. Your auras mesh beautifully; you'll be drawn towards each other."

Enja nodded seriously. "Your chi…is intertwined."

"Yes," Cassandra agreed. "Well…I better get going. Sinnoh is a hard day's flight."

"Hard day's night?" Enja asked.

"She said _flight_, honey," Chryssi said soothingly. "We need to help Karen get settled back in, anyway. It was so _nice_ meeting you."

"Far out," Enja said with a nod.

Cassandra stood and moved toward the door, pausing in front of Karen. The girl stared fiercely up at her for a few moments—and then tears sprang to her eyes and she flung herself toward Cassandra, hugging her tightly so that she was breathless. "I'll miss you," Karen gasped.

Cassandra felt tears leap into her own eyes, and she hugged back. "I'll miss you too," she said, patting the girl's back. "I really will."

Karen pulled away and impatiently brushed away her tears before thrusting a slip of paper into Cassandra's hand. "Here. This is my address. When you get settled, send me your address and a few Contest plans and I'll make you some outfits."

Cassandra smiled and nodded; she was a bit slower to wipe her tears. "Yeah. Okay. What would I have done without you, Karen?"

The girl crossed her arms and looked away. "You would've managed."

"Well…good-bye, then. Should I ask Finny to bring in your bags?"

"No. You need to get going; at this rate, you won't be there until the afternoon. Tuffly will bring them in."

"Okay."

With a final hug from Karen and a wave to Chryssi and Enja, Cassandra left the little yellow house and climbed onto Altaria's back, returning all her Pokémon to their Poké Balls before taking off for Sinnoh.

* * *

After several long hours and an awkward bathroom break that took place nowhere near a bathroom, Cassandra arrived in Hearthome City, absolutely exhausted. She returned Altaria to her Poké Ball to give the poor thing some rest and let Fluffy out instead; he trotted happily beside her as she set forth on the streets of Hearthome.

Hearthome was beautiful and bustling. Sunlight streamed down on the stone streets, and people walked by in twos and threes, laughing as they swung shopping bags or adjusted coats. Shops and restaurants were absolutely everywhere—Cassandra couldn't turn a corner without glimpsing a sweet little café, or a bistro, or a specialty shop—but what really stood out was the fact that everywhere she looked, people were smiling. They beamed from corners, from outside shops, from their chairs in the outdoor cafés. The only unhappy person Cassandra came upon was a small toddler who had just skinned his knee, and this was fixed with a band-aid and a kiss from his mother.

Keeping in mind that Alyssa was going to join her the next day, Cassandra bought a newspaper and sat down at an outdoor café to look in the back for an apartment. Rent was steep, but she kept telling herself that Alyssa was going to help her, that she could get a job. With both of them earning steady paychecks, she was sure they could afford to live in an apartment in Hearthome.

"Can I get you anything, hon?"

Alyssa glanced up into the kind face of the waitress.

"Oh—um, do you have coffee?"

"Sure. How do you take it?"

"With as much sugar as you can possibly jam into it."

The waitress laughed appreciatively as she wrote this down. "A girl after my own heart. I'll be right back."

She was true to her word; the waitress was back within minutes, placing the coffee cup and a red pen in front of Cassandra, who lowered her newspaper to stare at the pen confusedly.

"It's so you can circle things," the waitress clarified. "You looking for a place to live?"

"Oh—thanks. Yeah, I am."

"I'm Sheryl." She held out her hand and Cassandra shook it; Sheryl promptly sat down across from her. "You look tired, sweetie. Where'd you come from?"

"Oh, uh, I just flew in from Hoenn."

"Plane or Pokémon?"

"Pokémon."

Sheryl let out a low whistle. "That's a long flight. It's only about half an hour by plane—did you need to save money?"

"Yeah. Hearthome apartments are expensive. I was going to get one in Solaceon or even Pastoria and just commute, but my friend contacted me and said we should get one together, and with her help we can most definitely get one here."

"Commute?" Sheryl asked. "You must be here for the Contest Hall."

Cassandra smiled. "Guilty. I was into the contests in Hoenn, but…well…"

Sheryl squinted. "I follow Coordinators; I could never do all that contest stuff myself, but I'm a fan, you know? So I don't know why I don't recognize…you…_oh my God_."

"Wh-what?"

"You—you're—!" Sheryl clamped her mouth shut and glanced around before leaning forward. "_You're Cassandra Étoile_!"

"Guilty again."

The woman slapped her hands over her mouth excitedly. "You're a favorite," she whispered. "Oh, goodness, wouldn't Helen just _die_ to know you were here and she _missed_ you—she loves you, you know, can't get enough of you, watched you from Verdanturf on up. And when you gave up that _ribbon_—oh, I don't know who was more distraught, her or Wendy Karr!"

Cassandra took a cursory glance of the café to make sure no one was listening.

"Oh, but of course you're trying to lay low right now," Sheryl said. "I understand. That ribbon thing must have brought you a lot of unwanted publicity. Well, the first thing you'll want to know about the Sinnoh Contest Hall is that you need to pay for registration."

"Pay?"

"Yes, pay. It's not that much, but it's a fee nonetheless. Now, if you wanted to get a job…well, we're not taking applications here anymore, but I have a friend—her name is Ina Richardson—who works at the Poffin House, and she says they need workers over there. I could talk to her, see if you could get a job there. Tell you what, honey, the coffee's on me."

"Oh, I couldn't—"

"Hush your mouth, girl, I insist. Now, the PokéCenter will take you until you can find a place to live. I used to have a friend in the real estate business, but, wouldn't you know it, she was a two-faced little—well, you know. Anyway, she deals mostly in Sunyshore nowadays. So I can't help you find an apartment; all I can do there is wish you some luck. You drink your coffee, and then run along and get some rest—take that pen with you, girl, you'll want it, I'm sure—and you come back here tomorrow around noon, and ole Miss Sheryl will buy you some lunch and introduce you to Ina. Just come up to the counter and ask for me, okay? You remember my name, honey? It's Sheryl—Sheryl Quann. I've gotta get going, sweetie, I've been chatting here for too long. See you tomorrow!" And with that, the woman stood and left, taking Cassandra's bill with her.

A little thunderstruck, Cassandra drank her coffee, folded up her newspaper, and left, taking care to leave some money on the table.

* * *

**To:** dingdongbelle, thompson_alyssa

**From:** dancing_through_life

**Subject:** Sinnoh

* * *

Okay you guys,

Come whenever you want. I'll be staying at the PokéCenter for the time being. I'm sorry I didn't check my email sooner, Belle, or I would have picked you up on my way over. D= Just send me an email telling me when you think you'll get here, and I'll be here waiting.

Love you guys!

Cassandra

P.S. WE'RE ALL GONNA BE LIVING TOGETHER. That's so exciting! XD

* * *

_Look everyone! It's a sorta regular update! THEY'RE RETURNING I'M TRYING I PROMISE_

_Anyway, thank you for reviewing!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(Nice name, by the way. And thank you so much! XD)_

**_fractal _**_(Thanks - I couldn't help but notice that there is _never_ a triathlon, but there are always several people training for it.)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Yay! Thank you!)_

**_Emblem Duelist _**_(Thanks so much!)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(^_^ I _am _proud; thank you very much!)_

_So, I'm in the process of writing Chapter 52 - it's Alyssa - so stay tuned!_


	53. Chapter 52

"Are you sure you don't want me to ride with you? You might need help getting off the—"

"I'm sure."

Ian stopped, frowning slightly. Alyssa wasn't even meeting his eyes; her gaze was downcast, her hands clenched firmly around the handles of her crutches, Ziggy dangling from her shoulder. Her suitcase sat on the ground beside her. She was still wearing her Ranger uniform even though she was off-duty, and though it was pristine as usual, she looked strange in it—slumped over her crutches, forlorn expression.

"Alyssa…are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

_Last boarding call for Flight 202 to Jubilife City,_ said a voice over the intercom. Alyssa sighed and started forward on her crutches; Ziggy screeched in pain and she stopped, shifting to cradle him in one arm. She tried to pull her wheeled suitcase behind her, but one of her crutches fell, and for a moment she looked so lost that Ian almost wanted to cry.

"Alyssa," he said, bending to scoop up her crutch. "If we hurry and cancel your ticket, we can buy both of us a ticket for the next flight to Jubilife and—"

"I'll be fine, Ian," she said crossly, snatching her crutch from him and tucking it underneath her arm. "Once I get to Sinnoh I'll be home free."

He opened his mouth to tell her that this wasn't entirely true—after all, once she got off at Jubilife, she had to take a bus to Hearthome, and there were a myriad of problems that could go along with that—but she had suddenly turned angry, and he didn't want to anger her more. He wanted their parting to be on good terms.

"Okay," he replied. "I'm sorry. Can…can I at least help you with your bag for now?"

"I guess so," she grumbled. He took the handle and walked beside her as she hobbled along. She wasn't taking her "indefinite leave" very well—when she had told him about it, it had been in a hollow voice as she stared at the floor, one hand idly stroking the fur on Ziggy's head. Since then she hadn't quite been the same. She had been short with her parents and insisted that they not come to the airport to see her off; in fact, she hadn't wanted _anyone_ to see her off, but Chairperson Erma had ordered that she allow one person to do so, and Alyssa had chosen Ian.

As they stood in a line in disgruntled silence, Ian rocked back and forth on his heels. He wanted to say something to make her feel better, but so far that plan had _not_ been working for him; Alyssa did not want to be cheered up. She stood there now, glaring so hard at the floor that it seemed it could burst into flames, and Ian felt sorry for her.

"Okay, I can take it from here," Alyssa said, reaching for her suitcase before she headed for the tarmac. Ian caught her hand briefly.

"Alyssa," he said quietly.

"Let go," she mumbled.

"Alyssa—I'll miss you."

Her lips squeezed into a thin line as her head lowered so that her bangs obscured her eyes. A moment of silence passed between them. He continued to watch her, examining her hair, her face, her bent shoulders, her hunched back.

"I'll miss you too."

And then she snatched her suitcase away from him, somehow managing to hold its handle, the crutches, and Ziggy all at the same time as she crutched away. Ian watched her furiously deal with all these things until an airport attendant stopped her and asked if he could help; she jammed the suitcase into his hand and continued on.

Ian wrung his hands. "I hope she'll be all right, Prinny," he whispered to Prinplup.

* * *

Alyssa's carry-on bag was her only luggage, so she didn't have to deal with the Jubilife City Airport's baggage claim; she bypassed it and headed for the city outside. The sun was bright, the city was lively, and Alyssa had cash in her pocket and time to spare before the bus to Hearthome arrived, but rather than spend her time taking a quick tour of the city, Alyssa crutched her way over to the nearby bus stop and sat down on the empty bench. She would while away the next few hours there.

Having crutches meant she had to deal with one more bulky thing than other passengers, and she had gotten more than one annoyed look on the plane as she limped her way up and down the aisle to and from the bathroom. The man sitting next to her had thrown Ziggy such a self-righteous look that Alyssa herself had growled at him, which made him switch seats with a rather large woman across the way. She'd had to spend the rest of the time listening to the woman chuckle at the in-flight movie.

Ziggy snuffled a little in her lap. Alyssa stroked his head and murmured to him softly. She felt tired, inside and out. Not just tired—what was it her dad would say? _Weary_. She felt weary. She leaned her head against the back of the bench and closed her eyes.

A sound made her open them again; she was surrounded by people, all jostling and talking. The sun had crept a little to the west. A bus was pulling into the station, so Alyssa pulled her ticket out of the front pocket of her bag to check the number of the bus she needed—817. She squinted at the side of the bus as it pulled in. 817.

As the bus doors opened, a battle seemed to ensue between those unloading and those boarding; each crowd wanted to get to its respective destination before the other. The throng bunched in around her, making it difficult for her to stand up. She had to wait several seconds before there was enough room for her to maneuver her crutches without banging someone's leg. When she finally did manage to get to her feet, she felt rushed and fumbled with Ziggy and her suitcase, knocking her suitcase over at least three times before she finally began heading toward the bus; at this point, she was the last to board. Now she faced the steps. The bus driver stared at her as she tried to lean on one crutch, hold Ziggy, and lift her suitcase all at the same time. She dropped the crutch that wasn't supporting her just as her bag landed on the first step. Frustrated, she bent, teetering somewhat dangerously, and grabbed at it. She couldn't reach. "Come _on_," she said, feeling a lump rise in her throat.

"I've got it," said a calm, smooth voice. She glanced up at a man about in his thirties; he wore a ball cap over blonde hair. Blonde stubble lined the jaw of his long, thin face, and blue eyes met hers briefly as he bent to pick up her crutch. He already had her suitcase in his grasp, and he placed it behind him as he reached for her hand, which she gave to him. He helped her up the steps, gave her the other crutch, and scooped her suitcase up again as he led her down the small bus aisle and toward an empty plastic seat. People stared as she passed by, so she kept her head down, limping after the man in silence.

He put her suitcase into the metal rack above the seat. "Inside or outside?" he asked politely. "Just a warning—I'm not getting off until Sunyshore."

She didn't care; she slid in before him, leaning her crutches against the seat and turning her face toward the window as hot tears of frustration slid down her cheeks. He sat down beside her, and the bus started to move.

The man let her cry silently for a few moments until finally, he said simply, "Don't cry." When she glanced at him, his gaze was leveled toward the front of the bus. He wore a dark blue sweatshirt and faded blue jeans. He sat erect, back straight, hands in his sweatshirt pocket.

"Thank you," she told him. "For…helping me."

He nodded. "Any _decent_ human being would have done the same." His face hardened.

This made Alyssa feel a bit tense, so she didn't say anything for a while longer. After a while, he asked, "So, you're a Ranger?"

"Yeah."

"Almia, from the looks of it. And a Top Ranger, to judge by your Styler. You're very young to be a Top Ranger."

"Yeah…well…that's why I'm on indefinite leave."

He glanced at her cast. "I see."

"I didn't screw up," she snapped. "That's not why my leg is broken."

He nodded.

Alyssa felt bad; he had been nothing but nice to her, and here she was biting his head off. She should at least try to be nicer. "My team's mission went wrong," she said. "I went back into a fire to pull a teammate out. Something fell across my leg and broke it."

"Very noble."

"Yeah, well, I'm on indefinite leave because of it."

"Do you regret saving your teammate?"

Alyssa blinked. It was a weird thing to ask, especially of a total stranger—it was rather personal. But who was this guy, anyway? She would probably never see him again. "Yes and no," she said. "No because…well…no matter the injuries I sustained, I saved a life. I did my duty as a Top Ranger, as a person." She paused.

"And why yes?"

Alyssa indicated Ziggy in her lap. "I endangered my partner's life. I don't think his side will ever be the same."

"And your leg?"

"What about it?"

"Will it ever be the same?"

She shrugged. "Probably not. I mean, the bone will heal, but from what they said, the skin will always be weird-looking." She stopped talking, her story finished, before realizing that she hadn't asked anything about the man beside her. "So, why are you going to Sunyshore?"

He was quiet for a moment. "It's home," he replied. "I was taking a vacation. My work was getting a little…stale. I needed to leave for a bit. Now I'm going back."

"Does that happen often?" Alyssa asked for lack of a better question.

"Sadly, yes. I always seem to need something to restore my zest."

"And you still keep your job? Wow. You must be indispensible."

He smiled slightly. "I suppose so. And you? Where are you going?"

"Hearthome City," she replied. "My friend and I are getting an apartment there. She's a Coordinator—a really good one. She's moving from Hoenn."

"A Coordinator? Did she get very far?"

"She got to the Master Rank," Alyssa said proudly.

"Did she win?"

"Well…yes. But she gave the ribbon back."

The man turned his gaze to her. "Your friend is Cassandra Étoile."

Alyssa's face burned. She hadn't wanted any names to get caught up in this. "Yeah."

"You seem embarrassed. Are you ashamed that she gave up the ribbon?"

"No! Of course not! She had to! It's just—I didn't mean to say her name. She's trying to lay low, you know…"

"She had to? Curious."

Alyssa said nothing.

"I don't mean to ask you why. You can remain silent about it without fear."

"I wasn't going to tell you even if you asked," she replied. "There was no _fear_."

"Of course. I had forgotten you were a Ranger."

She couldn't tell if he was mocking her or not, so she played it safe and stayed quiet. After a while, she asked him, "Where did you go on your vacation from work?"

"Here and there," he replied. "A lot of places, really. At first I was in Hearthome, coincidentally, but then I went to Jubilife, where I flew to Johto to spend a few days. Interesting place, Johto. Blackthorn and Ecruteak in particular."

"Hm. I've been to Johto, but I was mostly in Cherrygrove and Goldenrod."

"Cherrygrove?"

"I had a friend there."

He nodded.

Alyssa turned to the window. The man continued to sit straight up beside her the entire ride to Hearthome, which took an hour and a half. When the bus pulled into the station, he stood and collected her suitcase, blocking the path of those attempting to get off the back of the bus. Someone complained, but he silenced them with a piercing look; when Alyssa had gathered her crutches and Ziggy, he allowed her to go ahead of him, and he followed after her with her bag.

The man helped her off the bus the same way he had helped her on. "Do you need any more assistance?" he asked her, setting her suitcase down.

"No. Cassandra will be here soon." She offered her hand for him to shake. "Thank you. I'm Alyssa, by the way."

The corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile as he took her hand and pumped it once, firmly. "Volkner. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you. And thanks for all your help."

He touched the brim of his cap, turned, and went back onto the bus.

"Alyssa!"

Cassandra seemed to materialize out of the crowd, rushing forward so that Alyssa turned and lost sight of Volkner. Her face radiated her excitement; Alyssa reached forward and pulled her into as tight a hug as she could manage, where after Cassandra grabbed Alyssa's suitcase and began chatting to her brightly, talking about some woman named Sheryl and about how they had to hurry to meet her at noon. "It's eleven-thirty, you know," she said brightly. "I missed you so much! You know, Belle is supposed to join us, I just got an email saying she'd be here in a few days—"

"Belle is coming?" Alyssa asked, shocked.

"Yeah. You didn't get the email?"

"No!"

"Well, she's coming, she's going to get a job, and we'll all live together! At least until she decides to start traveling again."

"That's awesome!" Alyssa's heart lifted.

"So how was your flight?"

"Awful…and the bus ride started out that way too, but this guy helped me out. He knew who you were—you're so famous, it's weird."

"I know, right?" Cassandra nodded solemnly. "That Sheryl woman at the café recognized me and then decided she'd help me. I mean, if I was just a normal person, would she have done all this?"

"I'm sure she would have."

"Well, let's get you set up at the PokéCenter—we'll be staying there until we can find an apartment—and then you can go with me to the café to meet Sheryl."

* * *

Cassandra was very patient with Alyssa. She didn't show the slightest signs of annoyance at Alyssa's slow pace, and she even carried Ziggy as they walked to the café, stroking him gently between the ears as she told Alyssa about her visit to Karen's house. Soon after Alyssa proclaimed that she wanted to meet Karen and her family, they stopped outside a small café called Winnie's.

"I guess we should go in," Cassandra said uncertainly. "I have to _ask_ for her." She peered in the window. "It looks crowded…"

"I can manage," Alyssa told her. "Don't worry."

Cassandra nodded and opened the door; a bell jingled merrily above them. The place was so crowded that it was hard to see the décor, and Alyssa crutched blindly after Cassandra, who made her way to a small counter and asked above the din if she could see Sheryl.

The cashier gave Cassandra a searching look and said, "Sheryl is very busy right now."

"She told me to come in and ask for her at noon."

With a quality about her that seemed to suggest that she thought Cassandra was ridiculous, the cashier turned and slipped through a set of swinging double doors into the kitchen. She returned within a few minutes, Sheryl trailing behind, putting her dark red hair up in a bun.

"There you are, sweetie! Come outside with me—it's less crowded. I'm taking my break," she told the cashier.

"It's lunch rush!"

"_I'm taking my break_."

Alyssa made her way back through the crowd and out the door, where Sheryl led them to a table already occupied by two women; Sheryl kindly pulled a chair out for Alyssa and took her crutches, leaning them against the arm of her chair, before she sat down.

"Who's your friend?" Sheryl asked of Cassandra.

"This is Alyssa Thompson—she's a Top Ranger in Almia."

"Injured in the line of duty, I suppose? You Rangers are always hurting yourselves somehow."

"Uh, yes ma'am," Alyssa replied uncertainly.

"Thought so." Sheryl tapped her fingers against the table. "Be thinking about what you want to eat, and I'll call a waitress over when you're ready."

"Okay," Cassandra and Alyssa said simultaneously.

Sheryl grinned. "You two must be _good_ friends. Anyway, this is Ina Richardson, the lady I told you about who works at the Poffin House." She indicated the woman beside her.

"It's lovely to meet you," Ina said, extending a hand toward Cassandra for her to shake. "You, too," she added, shaking Alyssa's as well. She smiled and brushed some dark blue hair out of her eyes. "When Sheryl told me that _the_ Cassandra Étoile needed a job, I thought she was joking—Sheryl's such a kidder—but now I see it with my own eyes! Oh—and this is my friend Maria Hudgens. She's moving out of her apartment into a smaller one, and she's been looking for someone to rent it to."

Both Alyssa's and Cassandra's eyes darted to the blonde woman sitting beside Ina, who smiled kindly and shook both of their hands. "It's nice to meet you both," she said. "My Starly have flown the coop, so to speak, and now I don't need nearly as much room as I did before."

"Her kids moved out to become Trainers," Sheryl clarified.

"Yes. The apartment building is called Skybridge Estates, and don't ask me why, because I haven't even _heard_ of a skybridge. It's got three bedrooms, a living room-dining room combination, a bathroom and a half, and a kitchenette. I was going to put the rent at a thousand a month, but for you I've decided to lower it to seven hundred."

Alyssa felt her chest clench. Seven hundred a month? Her indefinite-leave paycheck was only twelve hundred a month. That would only leave them with five hundred left over to take care of bills, groceries, and whatever else they might need.

"Now, you'd be starting at ten dollars an hour," Ina chimed in. "That'd be roughly a thousand a month. Now, mixed in with whatever paycheck your friend's getting—Top Rangers _always_ get paid vacations—you should be just fine."

Alyssa relaxed a little.

"Didn't you say there was another friend coming?" Sheryl asked.

"She's not getting here for another day or so," Cassandra replied.

Ina smiled. "Well, I can give _her_ a job, too. Granted, it might pay a little less than yours since she'll get less hours—sorry, those are just the positions available right now—but she'll be getting a good amount a month, too."

"Well, when can we move into the apartment?" Alyssa asked.

"As soon as you like," Maria said. "I moved out a little over a month ago. I've still got some furniture there, but I don't need it, so I suppose you can keep it if you want."

A waitress came over, frowning confusedly at Sheryl, and took a pencil from behind her ear. "Um…can I take your order?"

As everyone, including Sheryl, ordered their food, Alyssa couldn't help but share the waitress's confusion. How could Sheryl just take a break in the middle of lunch rush to share a meal with a random group of women? She ordered a sandwich and waited until the waitress left to ask, "So, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but how is it you can take a break in the middle of lunch rush? I mean, won't you get fired?"

Maria, Ina, and Sheryl exchanged glances before all three burst into laughter. "Oh, honey," Sheryl said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I _own_ this café." She pointed to the sign that said _Winnie's_. "Winifred is my middle name."

Cassandra's mouth pressed into a thin line. Alyssa glanced at her; this was a sure sign that something was bothering Cassandra. Although Alyssa would never tell her, she looked a lot like Joanna when she did that.

"I'm really grateful for all your help," Cassandra said suddenly. "It's very nice of you—all three of you. But the only reason this happened was because I'm famous. Would you have done this for a regular person? And how do you even know I'm a good person? For all you know, I could have some secret persona that I hide from the cameras."

Ina leaned forward. "The truth is, sweetie, most people wouldn't do all this for _anybody_. You might have told your story to a different waitress here and she would've just given you a sympathetic look and brought you some coffee. But us? We're different."

"Considerate," Maria chimed in.

"Empathetic," Sheryl added.

Ina nodded. "And we know you're a good person. It's hard to fool Sheryl."

"And hon," Sheryl said as Ina leaned back in her chair, "you gave away that ribbon. No ordinary person would have done that. No _bad_ person would have given it away for any reason."

Alyssa pushed the arm of Cassandra's chair. "Don't question good things," she said.

"Don't look a gift Rapidash in the mouth," Maria agreed, and the three women giggled.

After lunch, Alyssa and Cassandra said good-bye to Sheryl and Ina, who both had to get back to work, and went with Maria to see the apartment. Maria flagged a buggy drawn by a Rapidash, which she paid for with a wad of bills, insisting that Cassandra and Alyssa had enough expenses to worry about.

Skybridge Apartments was a rather tall building made of red brick. The parking lot was small; Maria handed the buggy driver a few more bills as she asked him to wait outside. "It's on the fifth floor, but there's an elevator, so you shouldn't worry," she told Alyssa, holding open the door for them. Inside was rather nice as well; the carpet of the lobby was a soft blue, and a tall, green plant stood on each side of the door. Maria led them across the lobby to the elevator.

The carpet in the hallway was the same type as the one in the lobby, but other than that, it was very plain; the walls were white with blue crown molding, and the doors were made of a light-colored wood. Maria led them around the corner to apartment 5-7 and pulled the key out of her pocket. "And here we go," she said, opening the door with a flourish.

It wasn't huge by any means, but it would serve the three girls nicely; the living room area blended into the dining room area, where a small round table stood surrounded by four chairs. An old-looking beige couch sat in the living room facing an empty entertainment center. The kitchen was small, but it had a counter, a stove, cabinets, and even a refrigerator, so they would get by just fine with it.

"The bedrooms are this way," Maria told them, and Alyssa hitched her crutches up under her armpits and followed her toward a short hallway. "These two doors were the kids' bedrooms, this one is the bathroom, and the master bedroom has a half-bathroom in it."

"Is the master bedroom bigger than the other two?" Cassandra asked as Maria opened all the doors, revealing two medium-sized rooms and a small bathroom.

"No," Maria replied. She opened the last door; she was right. The only difference between this bedroom and the other two was the half-open door to the bathroom. "Now, there are beds and mattresses in the bedrooms, but they need covers. I can have the electricity and water turned on tomorrow, and I can pay for the first month, but after that you're on your own. You'll probably have to spend the night at the PokéCenter tonight, but you can still buy some stuff for it today. Do you like it?"

Alyssa and Cassandra glanced at each other.

"We like it," they responded in unison.

Maria grinned. "Fantastic. Do you need me to show you around the shops?"

"Yes," Cassandra said. "Please."

"Follow me, then!"

The buggy took them to several different places, all of which sold things Alyssa and Cassandra would need for the apartment—sheets, blankets, pots and pans, silverware—and even took them by the Poffin House so that Cassandra could see where she would be working. With one last stop by the apartment to drop off the things they had bought, they went back to the PokéCenter. Night was falling around them as Cassandra helped Alyssa out of the buggy, Ziggy yawning widely.

"You've got my number?" Maria asked of Cassandra.

"Got it," she replied.

"Good. Call me around noon tomorrow, and I'll tell you whether it's okay for you to move in."

"Awesome. Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome. It was nice meeting you both."

Cassandra linked her arm with Alyssa's and walked with her into the slightly crowded PokéCenter. "Aren't you excited?" she asked. "We're all going to live together! Me and Belle are going to get jobs! _We'll all be together_!"

"Exciting," Alyssa echoed, the gears in her head turning. Now that the activity had gone down and she was limping arm-in-arm with Cassandra to the private room in the PokéCenter, reality was starting to come back to her. Yes, they were all going to be living together, but Belle and Cassandra were going to get jobs. What would Alyssa do while they were gone? What _could_ she do? She couldn't go exploring the city without a wheelchair—the skin on her leg would start to ache after a while. Plus, she needed to keep a constant eye on Ziggy to see when he needed his bandages changed.

So it was with a heavy heart and full mind that Alyssa went to the PokéCenter. Feigning extreme tiredness, she bathed herself carefully, as her doctor had instructed, and slipped straight into one of the beds.

* * *

In the middle of the night, Cassandra woke groggily, smacking her lips and squinting. A sound had woken her—she thought she had heard faint sobs coming from somewhere. She drifted immediately back to sleep and did not remember the incident when she rose in the morning.

* * *

**To:** dingdongbelle

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** WHAT?

* * *

So Cassandra JUST told me that you were going to come live with us! OMGWTFBBQ? I had no idea! THIS IS SO EXCITING! WE'LL ALL BE TOGETHER!

Get your ass up here as soon as you can!

Love much,

Alyssa

* * *

_HI EVERYBODY! So, I'm currently working on Chapter 53 while I'm furiously playing my **BRAND-NEW AWESOME POKEMON BLACK!** I started with Snivy!_

_So, thank you to all the kind people who are making me rapidly approach 200 reviews!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(Wow, thank you so much for your kind praise! ^_^ I work really hard on all these characters.)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(Thanks so much! XD You said "groovy". That makes me smile.)_

**_OrcShamanKing _**_(Well hello again, newly-named OrcShamanKing. As always, your praise is much appreciated. I'm glad you like Karen's parents and Sheryl - and no, I don't think she breathes when she talks. Maybe she was a swimmer or something XD)_

**_EternalPKK _**_(Well thank you! That battle took a lot out of me; I'm not good at battle scenes.)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Your ramblings made me smile! Thank you; I'm glad you like my characters! ^_^)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(The funny thing about the length of the story is that I originally planned for it to only have 50 chapters, and that, for me, would have been super-long. Now it's looking much longer, and I'm trying to move it along as much as I can, but it's getting difficult. :/ But thank you for reading it, long as it is! XD)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(Seems like everyone is going to miss Karen. But don't worry; I'm sure the girls' adventures will live up to your expectations!)_

_I think I've said this before (about 20 chapters ago D=), but we're nearing the end here. It may take a while, but we're speeding up on the climax of the story. Chapter 53 is coming soon!_


	54. Chapter 53

Terra hugged Belle tightly, and Belle felt a strange sense of déjà vu as she was forcefully reminded of her ferry ride to Kanto. Terra must have been feeling it, too; she sighed, patting Belle's back. "And again, I have to let you go."

Belle nodded stiffly. Her mother had insisted that flying into Hearthome City was too dangerous—she might have to fly over Veilstone, which was Team Galactic's last known hideout, and Terra had very good reasons to want to keep Belle away from them—so she was about to board a bus instead.

Derek, just like last time, kept his eyes on his feet in hopes that Belle wouldn't see his sorrow; and just like last time, Belle knelt to address him. "Hey."

"Hey," he mumbled back.

"I'm sorry I have to go. But hey, dude—eight more years and you'll be starting your own Pokémon Journey."

He mumbled something unintelligible.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "But look." She pulled the Charizard toy out of her pocket, and his eyes swung to it. "I'll always have this with me, so it's like you'll always be with me. Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed in a whisper.

Belle smiled and pulled him into a hug. She stood and patted his head as she turned her gaze seriously toward her mother. "Mom…be careful."

"I won't let the Rockets hurt him," Terra muttered, placing her hand over Derek's ear and leaning his head against her hip.

"Good, but I'm not just talking about him. You, too."

Terra grinned. "Oh, honey. You act like I've never done anything dangerous before."

Belle sighed and pecked her mother on the cheek as the rumble of an engine signaled the bus's approach; she kissed the top of Derek's head and gathered her bags.

Charmy was much too large to travel with her, so Belle allowed Bellossum to sit in her lap the whole bus ride. The little Pokémon excitedly watched the scenery pass by outside the entire way, squeaking happily and pointing with its little nubby arms whenever it saw something interesting, like a large tree or a snow-capped mountain. It took at least an hour to get to Sinnoh, and then another two to pass through Jubilife and Oreburgh to get to Hearthome.

When the bus came to a stop, Belle was groggy. She had been asleep much of the time and suspected that she had completely missed Oreburgh City. As the bus came to a complete stop, a flurry of activity ensued, in which Belle became very angry at various passersby as they rudely and indiscriminately brushed, bumped, and knocked their way past her, ignoring her attempts to get her bags out of the luggage rack. When finally she managed to pull them down, she hobbled down the aisle, holding the bags above the seats so they wouldn't knock into them and send her sprawling. Bellossum stood on her shoulder, clutching worriedly at her head.

Alyssa and Cassandra waited impatiently, nestled together, Ziggy and Fluffy at their sides. It was a brisk morning; Cassandra had a scarf pulled over her mouth and nose, and Alyssa wore a rather sloppily-crocheted hat that she had made at age ten. They were huddled together for warmth just as much as excitement, staring intently at the open bus doors as people spilled out of them, not one of them Belle.

And then it happened. First one blue duffel bag, then an arm, and then Belle's whole body appeared, her face drooping in a disgruntled expression as she struggled down the steps, a Bellossum riding on her shoulder. Her other hand clutched a rectangular black suitcase. She strode quickly away from the bus, glancing over the crowd, and Alyssa and Cassandra both raised one hand each. Cassandra tugged her scarf down to allow herself more volume as she shouted Belle's name.

Belle's eyes made contact with her two friends; her bags dropped from her hands. She removed the Bellossum as if in a daze, setting it on top of her duffel bag, as she stared toward Alyssa and Cassandra, who also felt frozen. Everyone else seemed to disappear.

Alyssa felt emotion rising up in her chest. Tears jumped to her eyes; the same was happening to Cassandra, and as they looked, they saw that teardrops had begun streaming down Belle's face as well. Suddenly, Alyssa was crutching faster than she had ever crutched before, and Cassandra was hurrying after her. Belle ran toward them, meeting them in the middle, and they clashed together in a chaos of limbs and crutches, all sobbing as they grabbed at each other, not knowing where one began and the other ended. They were crying freely now, sobs racking their bodies, pulling each other close as tears left wet slicks down their cheeks. They had all been through so much, but now they were together. Now they could really feel. Now they could let loose. They were together now, and they didn't have to hide anymore.

* * *

"This place is amazing," Belle remarked in awe, surveying the room around her. "The ceiling is higher than I would have thought."

"Isn't it awesome?" Cassandra asked. "And we don't even have to pay the water and power bill this month. _And_ you have a job waiting for you at the Poffin House."

Belle felt her stomach twist slightly. She didn't want to think about it so soon, but she had some investigating to do around Veilstone City—a job might cut into that time. She didn't want to just bring up the subject of her incident with Team Rocket, however, so she stabbed a green bean with her fork and said, "This food is really tasty, Alyssa."

"Thanks. It came from a can."

Belle laughed. "Well, you sure know how to open a can."

"Hey, speaking of money," Alyssa said, turning toward Cassandra. They were all sitting around the little round table in the dining room, eating a not-so-home-cooked meal as they caught up. "Does your dad know that Joanna cut you off?"

Cassandra paused. "I don't know," she replied. "I mean, I don't think he does."

"You should call them," Belle told her. "Find out a time when they'll be together and tell Papa G then."

"That would be interesting," Alyssa agreed.

"I don't know…"

"Don't be a wuss." Belle swallowed her bite of potatoes. "If Papa G doesn't know, he needs to. And he needs to hear it with Joanna right there; that way, you can counter any argument she might think up."

"Do it tomorrow," Alyssa said.

Cassandra glanced down at her plate. The mood had grown slightly more somber, and they didn't know what to do. The only sound was the clinking of silverware and the gentle _thunk_ of glasses against the wooden table until Alyssa broke the silence, saying, "Belle, what was it that happened to you?"

Belle looked across the table at Alyssa, stunned. She had been so preoccupied with her father she had quite forgotten that they would want to hear about that at all. Still a little dumbfounded, she set her fork down carefully beside her plate.

" You stopped emailing us, you stopped having emotions, you stopped…being you. How did that happen?"

"We were worried," Cassandra told her. "And you never explained."

"You said you'd explain later."

"And it's later."

"So explain."

Belle drew in a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "It was…it was Lavender Town. I know you guys haven't been to Kanto, but…Lavender Town is…this really creepy place with a tower. Pokémon Tower."

Slowly, painfully, Belle recounted the story of the baby Pichu's funeral. She watched the emotions shift across her friends' faces; she watched them wince as she told them about how she left Derrick. Most of all, she watched them watch her. And when she couldn't watch them, she lowered her gaze to her hands on the table, because at least her fingernails didn't have an expression of hurt and worry.

"And…that's what happened," she finished. "I just…the idea of Pokémon dying…I just couldn't let you guys have that burden. I had to protect you from it. I guess I thought…I guess I thought that if I felt it, if I kept it in, then you guys wouldn't have to feel the sorrow that I felt at the tower."

A ringing silence followed her words. They had long since stopped eating, and little piles of uneaten vegetables sat on their plates, cold from lack of attention; the clinking of silverware against china was gone. Belle waited, staring at her hands, not daring to look up at her friends' faces.

"What the hell?"

Her gaze snapped up; Alyssa looked _furious_. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," she snapped.

"You're…angry?" Belle asked.

"Hell yes, we're angry," Cassandra barked, slamming her hand on the table. "That's dumb, Belle. Just plain dumb. Of _course_ Pokémon die. Everything dies!"

"I mean, yeah, it sucks that you came across a dead _baby_ Pichu, but come on! I saw a whole slew of dead Pokémon, and I held a dead Poliwag _in my arms_. You being withdrawn and stupid doesn't keep us from feeling—"

"You did what?" Belle and Cassandra chorused, both of them fixing their gazes on Alyssa.

Alyssa sighed. "Right. I was going to tell you about this face-to-face. Well, first things first: Belle, you are dumb, and you had no need to be this stupid. I mean, imagine what you did to Derrick! Don't you care about him at all?"

Belle's stomach did a flip-flop. "Um…"

"She's _blushing_," Cassandra whispered, grinning as she leaned forward over the table. "Ooh, I think she _likes_ him."

"It's not like it matters now," Belle mumbled, looking away. "He probably hates me." She shook her head to clear it. "Wait a minute—you held a dead Poliwag in your arms? You saw a whole slew of dead Pokémon? What have _you_ been doing, Alyssa?"

"Being a Ranger," Alyssa replied. "Apparently, Pokémon death is part of the job. And I didn't know."

"Tell us everything," Cassandra said. "Right on up to what happened to your leg. And Ziggy's side."

Belle nodded, and Alyssa's hand fluttered down to lay gently on her cast. "Fine, you guys. But after I spill my beans, you need to tell us what went down in Hoenn, Cassandra."

"Fair enough."

They talked late into the night, moving from the dining room table to the living room floor—they hadn't yet got a couch—where Alyssa stretched out somewhat awkwardly, Ziggy across her lap. Belle and Cassandra had all their Pokémon out of their Poké Balls, and they fell asleep in various places long before the girls went to bed; when they finally did head off to sleep, it was after hours of soul-searching, confessing, and crying, and they all piled into one bed and fell asleep together, Alyssa in the middle, Belle's and Cassandra's heads on her shoulders. Before Belle dozed off, she remembered that they used to sleep like this whenever they had sleepovers, before their lives had become riddled with deception and sorrow.

It was nice, finally being together again.

* * *

**To:** megatcaldwell

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** Safe!

* * *

Hi Mom!

I'm safe and sound in Hearthome City with Cassandra and Alyssa. They've already got an apartment in a place called Skybridge Estates. Cassandra's already found me a part-time job at the Poffin House, and I start next week. She's got a full-time job there. I don't know what Alyssa will do on days when we're both at work, but…we'll come to that later.

How are things going at the Gym? Have you had any _problems_? Did you have any more challengers? How's Derek? Tell him that I said hi and that I miss him a lot. Maybe someday soon he can come up here to Hearthome City with us! Or maybe someday later. He's just a small fry, after all.

Well, I love you, Mom and Derek!

Love,

Belle

* * *

_Look, I'm updating sort of regularly! Don't leave me! Wow, look at how desperate I sound._

_I know it seems like this is getting long, but I promise we're getting to the end soon. Anyway, thank you to my awesome reviewers!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(Thanks so much! I'm glad you agree with the super-nice ladies; I based them off some ladies I know. ^_^)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(It's groovy that you watch so much sixties TV, then; sometimes modern television can be so grody! Like, gag me with a spoon! And thank you! XD)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Yeah I was hoping Volkner would be a surprise. XD)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(Yep, I got Black all right! And it's AWESOME. Thank you!)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(I started with Snivy...I think I said that before...but I'll say it again! And you should really look forward to having him; he's pretty awesome.)_


	55. Chapter 54

Cassandra's hands shook the next morning as she went about taking a shower and getting dressed. While Alyssa and Belle chatted through breakfast, Cassandra ate hers quickly. She bundled up, bid her friends good-bye for the morning, and rode Ellia down to the PokéCenter, where she called the phone company to see how much it would cost to install a video phone in the apartment. She agreed on a plan; they agreed that they would go install it that afternoon.

Now it was time to do what she had set out to do this morning. It was a Tuesday—for whatever reason, Gerald was usually home Tuesday mornings, and right now he would probably be in the bedroom with Joanna. With trembling fingers, Cassandra picked up the phone and dialed her home number, glancing around at the deserted PokéCenter as it rang.

The static vanished to be replaced by Dorothia's face, which immediately broke into a huge smile. "Miss Cassandra! It's so nice to see you!"

"Is Mother home?"

"Um…yes…"

"Is Dad home?"

"Yes, he's home too…they're both in the bedroom…" Dorothia's smile was rapidly sliding away as she took in Cassandra's expression.

"Please put me through to them."

"Certainly, Miss Cassandra…is everything all right?"

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Okay…hold on just a few seconds…"

Cassandra stared with wide, unseeing eyes as Dorothia's face disappeared and was replaced with Joanna's, Gerald straightening his tie in the background and bending over Joanna's shoulder.

"Sandy-bear!"

Cassandra's heart kicked into overdrive. Could she do this?

"What a lovely surprise," Joanna said dryly. "Imagine getting a call from our daughter _this _early in the morning."

"I was a little worried about you, Sandy-bear," Gerald said, still busily fixing his tie. "You left the Hoenn region and didn't even stop to say good-bye."

"Surprising." Joanna's voice dripped sarcasm.

"Did—did you see—after the Contest?" Cassandra stammered.

Gerald's face fell; he bent closer to the screen. "Are you all right, Cassandra?"

"Did you see—after—after the Contest?"

"No, I was too busy looking for you," he replied. "Why? What happened?"

"She gave up the Ribbon, Gerald," Joanna snapped. "And she was ashamed, so she ran away to Sinnoh. Honestly, you never watch the news; it's all _over_ the place right now. She's ruined her image forever."

Gerald frowned. "Sandy-bear, why?"

Joanna locked gazes with Cassandra through the screen. Her lips were pursed into a thin line, and her perfectly-groomed eyebrows were descending over her eyes, narrowing them into slits.

Cassandra spluttered and stammered for what felt like an eternity. "I…I just…because…"

"Come on, Sandy-bear," Gerald coaxed gently. "What is it? It'll be okay. I won't be angry at you, or ashamed of you, or anything like that."

She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes to steady herself. When she opened them, her mouth opened too, and all the information seemed to pour out in a flood of words that the dam that had been her lips couldn't stop. "When I came back in from getting the Ribbon I heard Mother talking to a judge about money and saying that she had bribed him and I barged in and told her that I didn't win the ribbon fair and square so I was going to give it back but she said that if I did that she was going to cut me off and I said I didn't care and she called me a failure and _she really did cut me off and she bribed a judge_."

Gerald slowly straightened so that the top half of his face was cut out of the frame, but Cassandra kept her gaze focused on Joanna, who looked beyond angry now; she was positively livid, as though she could come through the screen and strangle Cassandra with her bare hands. Cassandra could see the anger starting in the woman's chest, rising up through her throat and into that vein in her jaw—yes, there it was, the one that always throbbed when she was exceedingly angry—until her mouth opened.

"Joanna," said a calm, flat voice. Joanna's mouth snapped back shut and she turned slowly to look up at Gerald. "Is this true?"

"What do you mean, _is this true_?" Joanna snapped.

"Is. This. True?"

"It's true," Cassandra said quickly.

Joanna threw a frightening glance toward the screen.

"Don't look at her that way." Gerald's voice was lowering. His massive hand came to rest on the back of Joanna's chair, and he leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. "Is. It. True?"

Joanna's face was changing; from the contorted features of anger sprang a new expression, one of borderline terror.

"Joanna. The truth."

The next word was a whisper. "Yes."

Silence; stillness for several seconds. Then, slowly, gradually, he stood up straight, pulling himself to his full height. "Joanna."

"…yes?"

"You gave monetary compensation to a Master Rank Contest judge so that he would judge a contestant more favorably than that contestant deserved?"

"Well…I wanted her to win—"

"Do you know."

Joanna's mouth clamped shut.

"Do you know. What would happen. If Devon. Caught wind of this?"

"No," she whispered.

"Not to mention," he said, talking over her, his voice rising slightly, "the message you have conveyed…to our daughter? The damage you have done…to her self-conscience? Her self-esteem? Not to mention," he continued, his voice rising so much that it was approaching what could be described as _thunderous_, "the fact that you have not only broken the _law_, but the trust between us as husband and wife? Do you realize? Do you realize, Joanna, _what you have done_?"

"G-Gerald, please…try to be reasonable—"

"There is no _reasonable_ here!" Gerald shouted. "What have you been buying with the money that is so much more important than helping Cassandra? What have you been buying that takes priority over funding her travels?"

"Gerald—"

"WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN BUYING?"

"N-nothing, nothing, I swear—"

"Do not lie to me!" he yelled. "You have lied enough! _What have you been buying_?"

Silence rang out for several seconds until Joanna slowly, and with a very shaking hand, pointed towards a dresser in the background, which had hundreds of tiny, expensive-looking glass bottles all across its surface, gleaming in the sunlight streaming through the window. Gerald turned his head to look; and then he walked towards it. "These things?" he demanded, still shouting.

"Yes," she whispered.

"What? I couldn't _hear your answer_! THESE THINGS?"

"Yes," she said, a little louder.

Gerald's eyes were bulging, and he gritted his teeth. "You have put these things—these useless bottles of perfume and makeup—over _our daughter_? Is this what you have been doing?"

"I…I wouldn't put it that way—"

"THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING!" Gerald bellowed. "AND THIS IS WHAT I THINK OF IT!" With a mighty yell, he lifted the whole dresser and slung it into the wall over the headboard of the bed; Joanna screamed and dove out of sight as glass exploded and rained down over the room. The sound of wood splintering filled the air, but it didn't cover the sound of Gerald roaring, "WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BOUGHT?" The sound of Joanna's frightened sobs were his only answer, so he moved to the next expensive-looking object—a full-length mirror—and hurled it against the wall as well. "WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU BOUGHT? WHAT ELSE HAVE YOU PLACED ABOVE YOUR DAUGHTER?"

Gerald roamed in and out of frame, bellowing and shouting the whole time, throwing very heavy-looking objects all around the room so that all that was heard was yelling, sobbing, shattering glass, and cracking and splintering wood. He even ripped two of the bedposts off the four-poster bed and threw them through the window; there was a huge _crash_ as the glass ruptured, quickly followed by Gerald's angry roar and the large crack as he started on the third bedpost.

Joanna's head appeared back in frame, tears streaming down her face as she groped toward the phone; Gerald rampaged around the room behind her, destroying everything in his path. He had just picked up a solid oak table from the bathroom when Joanna desperately grabbed the phone and hung it up.

Cassandra sat staring at the static buzzing before her, heart beating rapidly and hands trembling so violently that she felt as though her whole body was pounding. Slowly, very slowly, she set the receiver in its cradle; and then she picked it up and dialed the number again.

Dorothia's worried face appeared almost immediately; Cassandra quickly told her the phone number that was to be assigned to their phone in the apartment before Dorothia had to quickly hang up the phone—from the sound of it, the argument had begun to move downstairs.

* * *

Belle placed her hands on her hips as she watched Alyssa struggle to stand from the chair. "Are you ready for help yet?"

"Leave me alone!" Alyssa snapped. "I can do this."

"I'm sure you can…when the chair leg isn't wedged against the wall."

Alyssa waved her crutch wildly near Belle's face; the girl ducked, her short hair swinging. "_I can do it_."

"Fine, geez. You don't have to go all homicidal on me."

The front door opened and both girls turned to watch Cassandra hurry through, Fluffy at her heels. She shut the door and began pulling off her layers—hat, scarf, gloves, jacket—and laying them on the counter. "You guys. I—I told Dad."

Immediately, Belle rushed toward her, and Alyssa magically wrested herself from her seat. "What happened?" Belle asked.

"Did he yell?" Alyssa inquired.

Cassandra nodded.

"I've never seen Papa G get angry," Belle remarked, gently taking hold of Cassandra's arm and guiding her toward the table. "What did he do?"

Cassandra allowed herself to be led to a seat, where she settled down and told the entire story as Belle put away her clothes and made her some hot chocolate. At the end of her tale, both of them stared at her, thunderstruck.

"He _threw a dresser_?"

"He trashed the room?"

"He pulled the bedposts off?"

"And threw them out the window," Cassandra reminded them; both girls leaned back in their chairs, astonished. "And my mother was _crying_. She was scared. I was, too, and I wasn't even there."

"Don't get all sympathetic toward your mom, now," Alyssa warned her. "She deserved it."

"But _wow_." Belle let out a low whistle. "I mean…how could he have…?"

"Is Papa G actually the love child of a wrestler and an Ursaring? Because…_wow_."

Cassandra shrugged. "I don't know. It's…weird. I've _never_ seen him like that."

"Well, he cares about you," Alyssa said soothingly.

"Enough to trash his own bedroom," Belle added. "But maybe he was seeing Joanna for the first time, y'know? She's always been an evil bi—"

"_Belle_." Alyssa shot her a warning glare.

"—bih-_aaa_d—_bad_—woman," Belle finished. "He just didn't notice until then. I mean, if I found out my wife of however-many years had just betrayed my daughter—"

"Wife?" Cassandra asked with a half-smile.

"—husband, whatever, you know what I mean—I might go insane and start tearing crap up too. You never know."

Cassandra sighed. "Maybe. I'm just sort of…worried about my mother. I mean, there was a _lot_ of shrapnel."

Alyssa snorted. "That's a funny thing to say. I mean, just think about it—the words _Joanna_ and _shrapnel_ in the same breath."

"I wouldn't have minded being able to say them together more, come to think of it." Belle put her chin in her hand. "_Joanna got hit by shrapnel_. Has a nice ring to it."

"Okay, you guys, enough," Cassandra laughed. "Well, anyway, I got us a video phone for the apartment. They should be here to install it this afternoon."

"Can we afford it?" Alyssa asked worriedly.

"Yes. We can."

They moved onto other topics, and Cassandra tried to shrug everything off, but the episode stayed in the back of her mind, nagging her with the sounds of yelling and splintering wood.

* * *

Alyssa thrust her arm through her jacket sleeve. "I want to see a contest," she remarked. "Do you think they'll have any tonight?"

"Not a free one," Belle told her, zipping up her own coat. "We'll just have to take in the Hearthome City nightlife another way. Cassandra, you ready?" she added, calling down the hallway.

"I can't find my coat," came the reply.

"Borrow one of mine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, it's not like you have cooties."

"Okay."

Belle rolled her eyes as she went back to layering up for the cold night. "Anyway, there might be some bars."

"Belle!" Alyssa gasped.

"I don't want to drink, don't get all bent out of shape. I just haven't played pool in a while."

"I wonder if they'd let me use my crutch as a pool stick."

"Can I borrow this one?" Cassandra finally came out into the living room, brandishing one of Belle's coats.

"Yeah, no problem. Hurry up, we're ready to _go_. Right, Fluffy?"

Fluffy wagged his tail excitedly before turning to press his nose into Cassandra's kneecap.

"Ow, geez," Cassandra said in response. "All right, I'm ready."

Just then, a strange noise filled the air; all three of them looked around, bewildered and a little frightened. "What the hell is that?" Alyssa asked.

"Oh—it's the phone," Cassandra shouted above the noise.

"Is there any way to change the ring?" Belle asked, clapping her hands over her ears.

Alyssa gave an irritated shrug. "We should have checked that before it rang and made our ears bleed."

"What?"

"I said, we should have checked that before it rang!"

"_What_?"

"I _said_, we should have checked that—"

"WHAT?"

"WE SHOULD HAVE CHECKED—"

"Guys, shut up!" Cassandra barked.

"What?" Belle asked; Alyssa smacked her in the back of the head as she pretended to zip her lips. Cassandra picked up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Cassandra."

"Mother." Cassandra glanced over her shoulder at Alyssa and Belle; the two of them nodded and opened the door.

"We'll just wait outside," Alyssa said in a low voice.

"What?" Belle asked as the door shut, leaving Cassandra in the room alone; she sat down and looked at the screen.

Joanna was alone in the darkening bedroom. It looked as though she had made no attempts to clean it; broken bits of wood littered the floor behind her, and slivers of glass were scattered on the bed and all around it, glinting in the strange light of twilight. All the posts had been torn from the bed, which was in disarray—there was no sign of the pillows, and the bedspread had somehow slunk from the bed to the floor, making a strange, wrinkled puddle of fabric filled with twinkling glass. Joanna herself looked no better. Her hair was a mess; it looked as though she had tried to brush it with a balloon of some sort. Mascara had smeared itself down her cheeks almost to her chin, and there were smudges of black around her eyes where she had been wiping them. Her skin was blotchy. Her shoulders looked shaky. Her whole body seemed angled toward the floor.

Cassandra wasn't sure who this woman was, but she felt she couldn't possibly be her mother.

"Cassandra, I…feel as though I must explain."

Cassandra nodded uncertainly.

Joanna took in a deep breath. "Once, I was a Coordinator, too."

She couldn't say she was too surprised about this. Somehow, the glamour of a Coordinator's life seemed as though it would suit Joanna.

"I grew up in the Sinnoh region. We had a house in Sunyshore City, where we spent our summers, but mostly we lived in Veilstone, rather near Hearthome. I think my parents sold the house in Veilstone—they might live in Canalave now, I'm not sure. But the point is, I grew up very near Hearthome City, and we went to the Contest Hall fairly often. It was in its beginning stages, then, and it was a little different from the already-huge Hoenn contests, but we went almost every time a Coordinator performed. And I fell in love with it." Joanna took a ragged breath. "The law then was that a child could start their journey at age ten. And I did. But I didn't want to go to Sandgem Town to Professor Rowan's lab for a Turtwig or a Piplup or a Chimchar…I wanted to catch my _own_ Pokémon. So my father gave me a Poké Ball and took me out to look for one I wanted.

"And I found one. It was a Teddiursa. Now, you know what Teddiursa become when they evolve…well, I didn't. My father tried to tell me, but I didn't listen; I caught him anyway, and I named him Eddie, and he was my…" Her voice cracked and she paused, lowering her gaze briefly. After a few seconds, she continued. "He was my best friend.

"I stayed around Sinnoh for a while, mostly traveling around with my parents. I caught a few Pokémon that I liked—Meowth, which evolved into Persian. Eevee, which I evolved into Leafeon. Roselia, which I evolved into Roserade. Combee, which evolved into Vespiqueen…I named her Queenie. Finneon, which became Lumineon. They were all contest Pokémon…except Eddie. When he evolved into Ursaring, he stopped wanting to do contests.

"I only ever did one contest in Hearthome City—my first one ever, with Eddie, at ten years old. I won by a small margin with a lot of luck. I thought I was the greatest, the best. And when I turned sixteen, I climbed on Minnie's back—that was Lumineon—and Surfed to Hoenn.

"Of course, I started off in Verdanturf, just like you did. Eddie was an Ursaring by then, so I had to use Leah—that was Leafeon. It was the first time the judges had really seen a Leafeon up-close, and I think that was why I won.

"I won Fallarbor by the skin of my teeth with Queenie. She was fast, and she was up against a Fire Pokémon—that impressed the judges. And in Slateport, I lost. I lost terribly. I spent several years in Slateport, trying over and over again, trying my best and hardest with every Pokémon I had. It was during this time that I met and fell in love with your father…and he fell in love…with me." Joanna cast her gaze downward.

"He was a bit of a Coordinator. He had an Octillery—he dressed it up in a suit, can you imagine? When he lost at Slateport, he gave it up and said contests weren't 'his thing'. He started going to business school in the city. Because we spent so many years there, we got to know each other very well. And one day, I finally won the Slateport contest—it was pure luck. Rasia—my Roserade—had gotten a critical-hit on the Pokémon I was fighting against…I can't for the life of me remember it now…and that got me to the last battle, where I was up against a Water Pokémon. It was a simple battle. And because of that, I thought I was the best Coordinator on the face of the planet. I wasn't famous, though. I had been just some rich girl when I started, and that's what I was then. I didn't even warrant a nickname, a title, like you have…the Honey-Haired Princess of Nature…I would have given anything to be known as that." Her voice broke again. Cassandra wasn't sure what was happening, so she just stayed silent.

When Joanna had taken a deep breath and composed herself, she went on. "Gerald and I promised to keep in touch, and I went off to Lilycove City. I got there a month before the contest, and I stayed there, training as hard as I could. Gerald sent me letters every day. I called him as often as I could. When the time came, he took the ferry to come and see me in my contest…and I lost. Oh, did I lose. And the whole time, the MC—we didn't have Wendy Karr then, her name was Miranda Riser—was narrating just how amateurish my choices were, how clumsy I seemed onstage. When I left, people were laughing at me.

"Gerald and I watched the news that night, and they did a little piece on me—without interviewing me, of course. It was the regular news, not the celebrity gossip shows…I would feel differently if it was one of those, because they are _always_ trying to ruin someone's self-confidence." She sighed deeply. "They were actually very nice. They kept it simple—they just said that I didn't have the talent for being a Coordinator. And the footage they showed really opened my eyes. I…wasn't good. I wasn't good at all. I was terrible, actually."

"So?" Cassandra asked after a few moments of silence.

"_So_?" Joanna repeated incredulously. "I had wasted my life! I was twenty-two years old by then! But even worse…I had wasted my Pokémon's lives. What were they to do now, in the hands of a no-good Coordinator who should have stopped trying twelve years ago? I didn't deserve a relationship with them anymore. I didn't deserve a relationship with _any_ Pokémon." She bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I gave them away."

Cassandra stared at the image of her mother, the tears streaming down her usually well-groomed face. What was this?

"I…I gave them all away. I gave Leah to a little girl somewhere in Fortree City. I gave Queenie to some traveler. I gave Rasia to a young man with a beard. I gave Minnie to a starting Trainer. I gave Siana—my Persian—to another starting Trainer. And Eddie…" Joanna squeezed her eyes shut even more somehow. "I…I gave Eddie to some young boy that was just passing through with his family. They were on their way to some region I can't even remember…was it Kanto? Johto? It could have been either one."

"Why didn't you keep in touch with them?" Cassandra asked.

"I didn't deserve them," Joanna replied in a whisper. "I had wasted their time, their lives."

"Where did Staraptor come from?"

"Oh. I bought it. And I chose not to get close to it…I didn't even nickname it…"

"What happened to Dad's Octillery?"

"He gave it away, too. He said that Octillery needed a lifestyle that was closer to the water, and he couldn't give him that anymore; so he gave him to a little blonde boy that was just starting out." Joanna shook her head. "My point is, Cassie—Cassandra. I was terrible at being a Coordinator. But no one…no one ever told me that. No one ever said, 'Joanna, this might be good as a hobby, but you should pursue other interests.' Not my parents. Not Gerald. Not anyone. Because of that, I wasted my entire life chasing a dream I had no business chasing. And now look at me—I have no skills. I got my education very late, and no one wants to hire an inexperienced thirty-year-old. And look at what I have done. Your father…" Joanna swallowed hard, and more tears welled up in her eyes. "I'm sure your father's going to leave me. And I ruined your Hoenn career. I just didn't want you to feel the way I do now. The way I did then." She wiped her tears, only to have more flow down. "It only took me a few years to shut down all my feelings. I had been living like that for so long…and then when I saw that you wanted to be a Coordinator, I just…" She shook her head.

"You—you don't need to punish yourself," Cassandra said slowly, hesitantly. "I mean…you shouldn't have given your Pokémon away. I'm sure they loved you, and they would have been happy being with you whether or not you were a Coordinator."

"That doesn't help me now. I can't dwell on the past."

"Sounds like that's what you've been doing for years, Mom."

The last word hung in the air between them. Joanna sniffled once and froze. Cassandra had only ever called Joanna _Mother_. To her, _Mom_ meant something else—a woman that loved and cared.

Joanna slowly leveled her gaze at Cassandra. They stared at each other for a moment, neither of them sure if they were ready to move into this new territory, this territory of actually being mother and daughter, of having a relationship that wasn't based on pain. "I guess so," Joanna said slowly. "Cassie."

And this time, Cassandra found she didn't hate that nickname.

* * *

_Hey guys,_

_Sorry for bailing on you. Some weird stuff happened with my mom—I'll tell you about it in the morning. I'll make breakfast this time, Belle._

_Love,_

_Cassandra_

_

* * *

_

_TWO HUNDRED REVIEWS? That's the best present ever, you guys! Thanks!_

_Okay, so now, here we goooo!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(Ah, all good things must come to an end; and you spelled Derrick right! Thank you for all your kind words, and thanks for the reviews!)_

**_Solyeuse _**_(Yes! 200 reviews! THANK YOU!)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(All your questions will be answered! ...later. XD)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Ha, I guess they are like Musketeers! Thank you for the review!)_

**_Ralyena Starrling _**_(Hope you liked this chapter, since she ended up telling Gerald after all. ;) Thank you so much!)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP! YES! Thanks for your review! XD)_


	56. Chapter 55

Belle grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and tried to exit the apartment as quietly as she could; she wanted to go to Veilstone City today, and she did not want Alyssa or Cassandra asking questions. She wanted to do this on her own first.

The keys jingled a bit in her pocket, and she clamped a frustrated fist around them as she headed toward the door. Her Pokémon were all in their Poké Balls for stealth purposes. The apartment felt quiet and empty around her, especially with the lack of key furniture such as armchairs, small tables, lamps, or couches, and she felt that every step she took on the hardwood echoed enough to shatter the windows; she almost imagined that she could hear the windowpanes shaking.

"What are you doing?" asked a voice just as Belle had laid her hand on the doorknob. She whirled around to see a disgruntled Alyssa. How could she be so stealthy on those crutches? Belle hadn't heard them at all.

"Nothing," Belle replied quickly.

"Just sneaking out?"

"Well…what are _you_ doing?"

"I need to change Ziggy's bandages. I have to do it every morning. So where are you going?"

"Nowhere."

"So sit down and wait for Cassandra to get up and make breakfast. She promised that it would be her turn this morning."

Neither of them moved; they stared at each other, frozen.

After a while, Cassandra came shuffling out, a small parade of Pokémon following behind: Fluffy, alert and wagging his tail; Finny, sleepily lumbering forward; Ellia, tossing her head in impatience; and finally Altaria, regally floating somewhere near the ceiling. Cassandra yawned and came to a stop, confusedly absorbing the scene before her. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Belle said as Alyssa's voice barreled over hers with, "Belle's sneaking out."

"And where are you going?" Cassandra asked.

Belle said nothing.

"Tell us," Alyssa said. "Remember that one time you didn't tell us what happened, and you ended up being stupid and withdrawn and pissing us off? Well, you're well on your way to doing that now, except now you're doing it first thing in the morning, and that's about seventeen times worse because I hate mornings as it is."

"I just want to go to Veilstone City, okay? Happy? Can I _go_ now?"

"There's got to be some reason you're hiding it from us," Cassandra piped up, reaching down to idly scratch Fluffy between his ears. "Remember that time you hid something from us—"

"—and you ended up being stupid and withdrawn and pissing us off?" Alyssa finished, and Belle sighed in exasperation as she reluctantly shed her coat.

"Fine. Sit at the damn table and I'll tell you what happened, okay?"

"That's all we want," Cassandra said soothingly.

"Just some damn communication," Alyssa grunted.

As they all sat down, Belle thought briefly that this had become a sort of unofficial conference table before recounting the story of the pair of Team Rocket grunts she had happened upon outside the gym. Drawing a ragged breath, she quickly got through telling them that they might have her father in their dungeons.

"Or something," she said. "And I wanted to go to Veilstone to check it out. And…I wanted to go alone at first. I was going to tell you guys later, but I guess it's better this way, anyway."

"So wait a minute," Cassandra said, leaning forward on her elbows. "Team Rocket has joined up with Team Galactic? Why?"

"Not even the Rangers are sure," Alyssa replied. "You didn't hear it on the news?"

"Karen only let me watch the news that pertained to me. She said something about how other things would distract me from being a serene Mother Nature."

"I _need_ to meet this girl."

"All that aside," Belle said, bringing the conversation back to the topic at hand, "is it okay if I do this alone? Just the first time. I just need to look for some clues any way I can. After that…we'll do it together. Okay?"

"No problem," Alyssa said with a nod. "We just want you to _tell_ us when something's wrong, okay?"

"We'll respect your space," Cassandra added, "if you respect our concerns."

Belle cracked a grin. "You guys really treat me like the baby."

"You _are_ the youngest of the group."

"Only by, like, a few weeks." Belle got to her feet. "Well, I'll fly there on Charmy, and I'll be back before it gets dark."

"You're gonna fly there?" Alyssa asked, frowning.

"Yeah."

"But…you've never been there before."

Belle raised her eyebrows. "I'm sure I'll be able to find it. I mean, it wouldn't make sense if I could only fly to places I'd been before."

"Oh…okay."

"Bye then."

"Bye," Alyssa and Cassandra chorused.

* * *

Just as she had predicted, Belle found Veilstone City fairly easily; she touched down in front of the PokéCenter (she didn't know why—it was simply a habit) and headed off with Charmy to find any building that would look disreputable enough to be Team Galactic's headquarters.

The streets here were winding and slightly confusing, and the fact that everything was stone-gray didn't help matters. She had a strange feeling of walking around in circles through the throng of people. After a while, she began to follow the crowd as though it was a current in the ocean, holding tight to Charmy's claw the whole way, and came upon the Veilstone City Department Store.

While the tall store was, in fact, the first thing that caught Belle's attention, she quickly switched her gaze to the much wider building stretching behind it. The thing had _spikes_ coming out of the walls. It looked like a pretty good candidate for an evil headquarters.

Belle wandered uncertainly toward the building. Now that she got a closer look at it, it seemed a bit run-down, as though it had seen better days. The spikes on the side looked a little rusty—what material had they used to make those things?—and there was graffiti spreading from the side wall over towards the main door, stretching around the corner of the structure like an unruly hair. Squinting up at the upper floors, Belle could make out that at least one window was boarded up, and that from the third floor up it seemed as though no lights were on. "Doesn't look like they've taken much care of it, huh, Charmy?"

"Hey!" someone shouted.

Belle glanced over her shoulder to ask "What?" in a flat voice, but her jaw dropped open and she turned all the way around instead. The man standing there had bright blue hair fashioned into some sort of bowl-cut, and he appeared to be wearing a suit that was meant to look futuristic; but alas, instead, it looked as though someone had run out of material and had started to make pants out of sheet metal. In short, he looked like an idiot. Even though the bright yellow _G_ on his chest indicated that he was a member of Team Galactic, Belle had to fight back laughter.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh…I…I'm just lost," she said, still trying not to laugh. If this man was from Galactic, she needed to be careful—they had killed her father. Maybe.

"I leave my guard duty for _one_ second and look at the sort of scum that shows up," the man growled, producing a Poké Ball from seemingly nowhere. "You! Battle me, right now!"

Belle cocked an eyebrow and glanced toward Charmy. The two shared an incredulous glance between them. "You want to battle me?"

"I'm _making_ you battle me. Go, Bidoof!" He threw his Poké Ball and a small brown Pokémon with a flat tail appeared, looking up at Belle with round eyes and buck teeth. Upon spotting her, it attempted to narrow its eyes in what it probably thought was malice, but it ended up looking so ridiculous that Belle felt she could scoop it up and punt it over a fence.

"Should I even bother with Primape?" she asked of Charmy. "Or do you think you can handle it?"

Charmy gave a growl that sounded more like a laugh and stepped out in front of her.

"Bidoof, Tack—"

"Just use Flamethrower."

Charmy obliged, dispensing a stream of fire from his throat that engulfed the poor little Bidoof. When the flames stopped and Bidoof rolled over, fainted, the Galactic man returned his Pokémon, patting at his pockets for another Ball. "Damn—I'm all out of Pokémon!"

Belle snorted derisively. "You carry _one_ Pokémon with you? And it can't even fight. What are you, five?"

"Doesn't matter," the Galactic man relied tersely. "I've already called for my colleagues, and they should be here at any moment."

Just then, the door to the building behind her slid open and at least ten Galactic members poured out; she got a quick glance into the lobby, and all she could see were bright-blue heads and the glint of shiny uniforms. While she thought she might be able to handle a hundred Bidoof, she didn't think she could take them all at one time; she grabbed Charmy's claw and said quickly, "Let's get outta here."

Charmy agreed by swinging her up onto his back and taking off, flapping his large wings so that the downdraft knocked over several Galactic members. As they soared away to the sounds of men and women lamenting that their Bidoof didn't know any long-rage attacks, Belle gritted her teeth and felt the stone of failure sitting in her stomach.

* * *

Alyssa burst out laughing. "Did you seriously just say 'impregnable'? Did you _seriously_ just describe that place as an 'impregnable fortress'?"

Belle scowled. "Why? What's it to you?"

Alyssa's reply was more laughter. "Oh my goodness, Belle! The way you describe it, it sounds like all the leaders left and put the grunts in charge of holding down the fort! Sneaking in there should be easy as pie; _much_ easier than the stupid hair-dye factory. And anyway, when did you start speaking like you came from the eighteenth century, my lady?"

"Geez, if I had known you were gonna make fun of me, I just wouldn't have said anything." She folded her arms and leaned back in her chair.

"No, no—it's actually a good thing that you came back and told me this. I'm a Ranger, y'know? So I know how you can get in."

"Couldn't she just walk in and say she wants to become a member?" Cassandra asked from the kitchen, where she was making sandwiches.

"They're obviously protecting their _impregnable fortress_ from random passersby, so I don't think they're looking for recruits just now. They'd probably turn away anyone who came in. And they probably wouldn't take any new recruits down to the dungeons, anyway. Do we have any paper?"

"Probably not," Belle replied.

"We have napkins," Cassandra piped up.

"Can you bring me a napkin and a pen, then?"

"Don't know if we have pens—oh, here's one!" Cassandra brought a few napkins and a pen to Alyssa and placed a sandwich in front of Belle, who dug in eagerly.

"What you'll need to do," Alyssa said, "is go in undercover. Now, a uniform you can beat someone up for as long as you stash them somewhere they won't be found. I recommend leaving a Pokémon behind to make sure they don't wake up before you want them to. The hair is the biggest problem—it's dyed. Now, I know you don't want to dye your hair, but shops probably steer clear of selling Team Galactic-style wigs, seeing as how they were a pretty big threat in this region for a while. There's no harm in looking, though. But dying your hair is probably the best option—it'll look more convincing, and that's what you'll want to be. There are ways to dye it temporarily and still have it look real." The entire time she was talking, she had been scrawling things on the napkin; now she paused to survey her work.

"But she can't do this alone," Cassandra said, setting a sandwich down in front of Alyssa before sitting down to eat her own. "It's dangerous!"

"Of course not," Alyssa agreed. "You're going with her."

"_What_?"

"Well, like you said, it's dangerous to go alone. Take this!" She gestured toward Cassandra.

"I am _not_ cutting my hair."

Alyssa shrugged. "That's fine. Belle can disguise herself as a Galactic Grunt and bring you in as a prisoner."

"Whoa, whoa. I can't bring in _Cassandra Étoile_ as a prisoner. They'd notice if she didn't stay." Belle put down her half-eaten sandwich.

"We'll disguise Cassandra—temporarily dye your hair another color, put it up in a ponytail, smear some dirt on your face, probably get some of those fashion glasses and put those on you. Trust me, this'll work—those guys are _idiots_."

Belle glanced at Cassandra, who was shaking her head; Belle, however, was getting excited. This sounded like a good plan to her. "Why would I be bringing her in?"

"Well, we'll make up some story about her," Alyssa replied. "Maybe she's a cop you found snooping around. It has to be pretty elaborate, but not so elaborate that it sounds fake—a few good details are enough to make it sound legit. Probably name, occupation, and a small task would be enough to convince them…"

"We could call her Sandra, or—"

"It shouldn't be close to her real name," Alyssa interrupted sternly. "Something _totally_ off-the-wall. Irene, Teresa, Claire, Galatea."

"Galatea?" Cassandra asked incredulously.

"Whatever. The point is, we need to make a story for her."

"I don't think this will work."

"I do," Belle said. "I think it will work _awesomely_."

Alyssa grinned. "That it will. Now let's get down to business."

* * *

_Hey guys,_

_I'm going to bed early. I have a lot of stuff to think about, and I'm really, really tired. Don't get worried about me, okay? I'm perfectly fine. ^_^_

_Love,_

_Belle_

* * *

_Okay, so FanFiction wouldn't let me update there for a while, but I'm glad to see I didn't lose you guys with my totally unplanned hiatus! Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(Aww, I'm sorry you didn't get the 200th review. I'm glad your friend Joanna isn't like my character Joanna-I would have to question your taste in friends. o.0)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(Wow, it's okay! Calm down; love interests will appear soon. ^_^ You are awesomely enthusiastic!)_

**_OrcShamanKing _**_(I'm glad you liked my Gerald - Joanna time! XD Nice to hear from you again!)_

**_beatlesfan53 _**_(Yes, a new layer of...stuff. ^_^)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Bittersweet indeed. XD Thank you!)_


	57. Chapter 56

Alyssa grabbed a box of hair dye and compared the color to another box on the shelf. "Loosen up there, Ziggy," she muttered as his claws dug into her shoulder.

"Wouldn't it be easier if I went in there as a Team Rocket member instead?" Belle asked in an undertone, glancing around the cramped aisle.

Alyssa put the box back in favor of the one on the shelf. "I doubt the Galactic grunts trust the Rocket grunts. They just hooked up together…what, not even a year ago? The bosses may have a deal, but that doesn't mean the underlings have to get along. Hey, do you have that picture with you?"

Belle sighed and reached into her coat pocket. The two girls were in a small beauty store—the tenth one they had visited that day—while Cassandra was working her first day at the Poffin House. At first, Alyssa had said that they should buy some walkie-talkie-type gear so that they could communicate while Belle and Cassandra were in the headquarters, but, after visiting an electronics store, she decided that anything less hi-tech than Ranger gear would be bulky and suspicious. At that point, she had known that she would need to contact Ian so that he could send her some equipment; since the thought of this had made her stomach squirm, she had put it off by visiting every beauty and cosmetics store that caught her eye. This plan was starting to fail, however—Ziggy was getting antsy and tired, Belle was getting cranky, and Alyssa's own leg was beginning to ache. At this rate, they were going to need to spend precious money on some sort of cab to get back to the apartment.

Alyssa took the picture Belle produced, which was the mug shot of the Galactic grunt Alyssa and Ian had apprehended so long ago; she held the picture up to the box, comparing the colors. No _way_ was she going to by any Happy-Hair Brand stuff.

"I think we have our color," Alyssa said triumphantly, handing the picture back to Belle. "Now to just find the color we want to dye Cassandra's hair—"

Belle held up a box of brown hair dye and wiggled it. "Here we go. I found it. This will be fine. Now let's _go home_, I'm starving."

Alyssa bit her lip. She really did not want to have to email Ian yet. "Um…are you sure we want brown? Maybe we should get red or—"

"Brown is fine. It will make her look like a Teresa, or a Claire. Now let's _go_." Belle snatched Alyssa's box of dye and marched off toward the front of the store.

Alyssa crutched after her, mentally arranging tasks that she could use to prolong her contacting Ian. Ziggy would need his bandages changed as soon as they got home—that would definitely take priority over Ian. She would need to feed Ziggy…and herself, now that she thought about it. What did she want for lunch? _I can decide that later,_ she thought, and almost ran into the counter before she realized that she needed to watch where she was going.

"Two different colors, huh?" the clerk asked, scanning the boxes.

"We wanna shake things up," Alyssa replied with a girlish smile. "Right?" she added toward Belle.

"Shaky-shaky!" Belle agreed, distractedly poking at some sort of hair cream on display at the counter.

The clerk raised an eyebrow and performed the rest of her duties without saying anything else; Alyssa smiled vapidly as she paid and then grabbed the bag off the counter. "Have a good day," the clerk called after them as they left.

"You too!" Belle chirped as the door shut behind them. "God, why did you have to paint us as valley girls? _Ugh_. All right, which way's home?"

"Dunno, flag a cab or something. _Shaky-shaky_. That was brilliant. She so bought that you were dumb."

"Huh?"

"Oh…I guess that wasn't on purpose." Alyssa shifted uncomfortably.

They were able to afford a small buggy pulled by a Ponyta, which navigated the way to Skybridge in less than twenty minutes; Alyssa actually didn't have to stifle a groan when she paid the driver. She and Belle made their way across the lobby and into the elevator.

"So," Belle said as the doors closed. "As soon as we're finished eating, we need to formulate the rest of the plan."

"Yes," Alyssa agreed quickly. "As _soon_ as we're done eating."

* * *

Cassandra didn't want to admit it, but she found working at the Poffin House a bit ridiculous. Her job was easy enough: she instructed incoming Trainers and Coordinators on the making of the Poffin, answering any questions they had to the best of her ability; she oversaw the preparation; and she made the batter, into which Trainers happily threw berries of all shapes and sizes. Her only complaint was her role in the overseeing—while they were stirring the batter, she had to shout things like "It's overflowing!" and "Speed up, or it'll burn!" as if the people making the Poffins had no brains in their heads at all. Even experienced Poffin-makers had to endure this torture, but it seemed to be part of the Poffin-making experience, and all the workers had to do it. She also didn't like the fact that overenthusiastic Coordinators stirred too fast and didn't heed her warnings so that hot Poffin batter splashed up out of the pot, sometimes getting on her and burning her skin before she could step back and wipe it away with her towel.

It was a tiring first day; the Poffin House was fast-paced, and not every customer was friendly. It was four-thirty when Ina Richardson dismissed Cassandra, whereupon she wearily removed her apron and left. She wanted to drop by the Contest Hall on her way back; being too tired to walk, she rode Ellia there, sidesaddle the whole way.

"_Closed_?" Cassandra moaned, slipping off her Rapidash and hurrying to the doors. "They can't be closed—I wanted to look around inside today!" She sighed heavily as Ellia nudged her shoulder gently. "Yeah, I know. Maybe I can go tomorrow. I just…I really want to get back in the game, y'know?"

Ellia nickered softly.

Cassandra smiled. "You know, sometimes I think I don't need Karen here to translate. Okay, let's get home." She climbed back up onto Ellia's back and stroked her fiery mane idly as they made their way back. The busyness of the city seemed to die away a bit as they neared the apartment building, and she noticed that the sun had begun to set. She indicated with a tap on Ellia's neck that she wanted to change course a little; the Rapidash walked to an empty lot on the roadside so that Cassandra could gaze upon the horizon. "Isn't the sunset pretty?" she asked of her Pokémon, getting a small toss of the head in response. "I'm really glad I'm here, Ellia, but…" She trailed off.

But. But what? _But_ she wished it hadn't come to this. _But_ she wished Karen was still with her. _But_ she wished Hoenn had been an honest competition. But, but, but. Her heart wrenched a little inside her chest—she had almost had that ribbon. She had held it in her hands. It had been pinned to her chest as she looked out at a sea of adoring fans, and she had looked her future full in the face…a future she would never have now. She had given up her corporate sponsorship, the world of corporate contests, the opportunity to be Devon's first sponsored Coordinator in decades—not to mention the opportunity to be in the first Interregional Contest. Fame, fortune, and glory could have been all hers, and all she would have had to do was keep the ribbon and accept it.

But what cost would she have paid? Her integrity, for one. Would losing her integrity be worth jamming that ribbon in Sakura Konohana's face? Would it be worth the millions of people looking up to her? Would it be worth wiping the floor with Konohana every time they met? She could just see it—that stupid girl's angry face as she realized that the judges for the corporate contests couldn't be bribed, that here, Cassandra had the upper hand.

No. Because all the glory in the world wouldn't be glorious enough to erase the truth—she had cheated. None of her fans would know it, but she would, and that would be enough to drain all the joy out of her achievements. It was better this way. After all, she wasn't _exactly_ starting from scratch; people still knew who she was, that she was good. It was still strange, however, to think that she had held the Master Ribbon in her hands. It had been hers for just a few moments. Or had it? Had it _really_ been hers at all?

"Good evening, m'lady."

Startled as she was, Cassandra didn't jump; she glanced over her shoulder to see a boy a bit older than she standing there, a Swellow at his side. His dark blue hair was just long enough to be considered attractive, hanging a bit in his brown eyes, and a shy half-smile lifted the corner of his lips. He wore a collared garment that could have been considered a cape over a navy-blue tuxedo, and instead of a tie, a thin red ribbon hung from the collar of his tux shirt. "I was just noticing how your hair looks like fire in the sunset," he continued, drawing a rose from the depths of his cloak.

"Who are you?" Cassandra blurted out.

"Ah, yes, where are my manners? I am Alexandré, a Pokémon Coordinator."

"Oh. Well, I'm—"

"Cassandra Étoile," he finished simply, lowering his gaze. "Forgive me, m'lady, but…I already know your identity. You are, as it were, quite famous."

Was he arrogant or shy? She couldn't quite tell.

"Forgive me for being so forward, Miss Étoile, but…why do you look so pensive? A lady of your caliber surely doesn't have many worries."

She stifled the urge to snort derisively. "What makes you so sure of that?"

He bowed slightly. "My apologies, m'lady. I assume too much." He glanced up at her a bit shyly, hiding his mouth behind his rose, which he lowered after a few moments to speak. "I know this—my introduction—seems sudden, but I have seen you twice today…the first, m'lady, was at the Poffin House. I wished to inquire as to why the magnificent Cassandra Étoile was working there instead of utilizing its services. The second was just a few moments ago, at the doors of the Contest Hall. At the risk of making myself a fool once more, I will assume, dear lady, that you wished for a tour?"

"To answer your first question…not to be rude, but that's not much of your business." She frowned, and for some reason, she even felt a bit offended.

He bowed lower than before. "Of course, of course…my apologies, m'lady, the sincerest ones I have."

"But I suppose I was looking for something of a tour."

"Well then, m'lady, I can help you there." His eyes sparkled. He strode toward her, and with a flourish of his cape, he knelt, bowed his head, placed his right hand over his heart, and extended the rose toward her with his left. "Please accept this rose."

She reached out and took it; he loosened his grip and allowed it to slide out of his fingers. Something compelled her to smell it, and as she did so, she was surprised by how wonderful its fragrance really was, closing her eyes and inhaling deeper. When she opened them again, Alexandré was on his feet.

"Any time you wish, m'lady, you may arrive at the Hall doors holding that rose, and I will appear at your side to give you a tour."

"Well, I'm off at four—"

"Any time you wish." He bowed once, whirled away, and walked to the Swellow, which opened its wings to allow him to gracefully climb aboard its back. His gaze locked onto Cassandra's and held it. "Farewell, m'lady. May we meet again. Melias, away!"

The Swellow cawed in answer before beating its wings and taking off, soaring up and away before Cassandra had time to ask him what time she was supposed to arrive for her tour. When she blinked, he had disappeared from the sky, and the only evidence that he had been there at all was the rose she held in her right hand.

* * *

**To:** walton_ian

**From:** thompson_alyssa

**Subject:** Hi there.

* * *

Hi Ian,

Please send me some mics and earpieces for undercover purposes. Turns out I have a mission to do.

Thanks,

Alyssa

* * *

_Whew! Sorry it took so long, guys; I've been wrapped up in Dragon Age: Origins, and I know I'm a little late to the party, but HOLY CRAP is that game awesome._

_Thank you to the reviewers who stuck it out!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(Yay! I'm glad you like it! ^_^ I always thought the grunts were idiots.)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(Thanks for your compliment on the girls' personalities! XD)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(Just keep reading, you'll see!)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(I always figured that the people with the sunniest personalities are the scariest angry people. XD)_


	58. Chapter 57

Cassandra tugged on her scarf and glanced around the busy street as Alyssa adjusted her crutches beside her. A few days ago, Alyssa had gotten a reply from Ian saying he was shipping the equipment to the Hearthome City Pokémon Center, and that it would be there in a few days. The two girls had risen early and left Belle to continue her slumber—she had not been getting too much sleep lately, and they didn't want to wake her—at Nurse Joy's call to inform them that the equipment had arrived.

Cassandra had offered to pick up the package herself, but Alyssa insisted that she needed to be there to inspect it; and since Alyssa couldn't sit properly on any sort of Pokémon and they didn't want to waste money on a cab, they were walking.

"We're almost there," Cassandra said encouragingly to both Alyssa and Fluffy, both of whom were starting to snarl slightly.

Alyssa shifted Ziggy's position on her shoulder. The little guy stuck his snout into her ear and sniffled. "I know that," she replied irritably. "Come on, let's go."

Cassandra wasn't sure whether to be frustrated with or amused at Alyssa. On the other hand, she could have felt pity; it was sort of sad to see Alyssa struggle with her crutches. She had been such an athletic, capable girl, and now she had to strain to move four or five steps. The bulky cast on her leg took a lot out of her, mentally and physically.

The PokéCenter's bright red logo was a welcome sight when they finally arrived, but the huge crowd was not; apparently, a bus had just come in a few moments ago, and the people there were grappling for available rooms at the Center, scattered luggage, and their companions, all seemingly without a bit of consideration for those around them.

"Cripple coming through, make way for the cripple," Alyssa shouted as she started for the door. Cassandra followed in her wake. "That's right, make a hole, people, cripple comin' through. _Cripple_ comin' through! Make a hole!" she continued as the door slid open; the people inside quickly began to bustle out of her way. "God, why does the bus come at the same time the mail does?" she asked Cassandra as she made her way to the counter.

"Maybe the mail comes on the bus?" Cassandra suggested.

"That's stupid."

"Maybe it is." She had decided—she was amused. Try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to be mad at Alyssa. She was just too…_funny_.

"Hey, Nurse Joy!" Alyssa shouted as she neared the counter; Cassandra hurried to stand next to her.

"Yes?"

"You called us about a package?"

"Oh, you're Alyssa Thompson?" Nurse Joy looked frazzled; obviously, she was having a busy enough time without an irritated cripple snapping at her. "I think there was a man here with it just a few seconds ago—"

"I've got it right here," said a man's voice; Cassandra turned to look. The man who had spoken was rather tall, with tan skin and shaggy-looking dark brown hair that had a strange cowlick at the back as though he had been leaning against something; he held a blue backpack and was smiling broadly. A Prinplup stood at his side.

"_Ian_?" Alyssa asked in disbelief with a tinge of annoyance.

Ian smiled a little broader and took a step forward. Cassandra now realized why she hadn't recognized him, other than the fact that she had only met him once—he wasn't wearing his Ranger uniform. Instead, he wore a long black coat over jeans and a dark blue scarf. "I thought you might need help carrying the stuff."

"I _brought_ help," Alyssa snapped.

Cassandra pulled her scarf up over her mouth to hide her smile.

"I didn't think you would," Ian told her.

Alyssa let out a scoff, turned, and crutched away faster than Cassandra had ever seen her go on those things; pretty soon, she had parted the sea of people and exited the PokéCenter. Cassandra tugged her scarf away from her face and took a step toward Ian, who had frowned and looked as though he was about to follow her.

"Let her go," she said. "Give her some time to cool off. Follow me; we'll head to the apartment."

* * *

"This is a nice place you've got here," Ian said enthusiastically as he filled his fork with more spaghetti. "Thanks for the spaghetti, Belle."

"No problem," Belle replied distractedly. Her hands were shaking so bad she was having a hard time getting the noodles to twist around her fork; the arrival of the equipment meant that everything was in place to invade Team Galactic tomorrow, and she was nervous. They had already done a test-run on her hair, and if they dyed it again tonight, it would be absolutely perfect for tomorrow.

"Well, um, what brings you here, Ian?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah," Alyssa chimed in. "What are you doing here?" She scowled across the table at him.

Ian grinned back at her. "Well, when you sent me that email, I told Chairperson Erma that you had put in a request for assistance, and she said it was all right if I came and helped out—undercover, of course."

"You could have jeopardized our mission," Alyssa snapped. "You should have just sent it."

"Yeah, and then it would have gotten inspected a million times. No. This way, I could make sure that _I_ was the only one who touched it." Ian smiled. "You would have done the same."

Alyssa frowned and looked away. "Whatever. I guess we can let you in on the plan, then. But you'll have to stay here with me; having another person in the infiltration would be too much."

Ian nodded. "Fine with me!"

Cassandra hid her smile.

* * *

Cassandra was no longer smiling. In fact, she was currently wondering how she could have ever found enough happiness in the world to smile at all.

Charmy dipped one wing down and wheeled around before coming in for a landing on Route 215. Belle reluctantly returned him to his Poké Ball and tightened her head scarf. "We'll have to walk from here," she told Cassandra, who this time used her scarf to cover the dirt smeared across the lower part of her face before nodding.

Belle shivered; she was wearing very loose, thin clothing that she could remove easily to pull on a Galactic uniform. She wished desperately that she could keep Charmy out of his Ball—for warmth if not for anything else—but there was too much of a chance that the Galactic members would recognize her by her Pokémon.

"Hello? Can you guys hear me?"

"Loud and clear," Belle answered.

Cassandra pressed the small device in her ear. "Sure can."

Back at the apartment, Alyssa grinned. "Excellent."

"Excellent indeed," Ian agreed.

"All right, look. We'll be right here for you guys, but for right now we'll maintain radio silence until you get to HQ. Got it?"

"Roger that," came Belle's voice.

"All right. Over and out." Alyssa lifted her hand from the button that allowed Belle and Cassandra to hear her voice and set the small device on the table between her and Ian. She didn't want to admit it, but she was actually rather glad that she wasn't going to be here alone; at least Ian was deprived of action, too.

"So," Ian said, his eyes wandering past Alyssa and into the living room where Prinplup and Ziggy sat chattering to each other, "I wanted to ask you something. Why are you so mad at me?"

"I'm not," Alyssa replied quickly and defensively. Ian smiled.

"You're not? Sure feels like it to me. Sure felt like it at the airport."

There was silence between them for a few moments. "Yeah. Well."

"Why don't you tell me what's going on?"

"We have more important things to worry about," she said, indicating the device between them.

"They've got another twenty minutes before they even reach the Veilstone City limits. Tell me what's up."

Alyssa brushed her bangs away from her face and glanced in another direction. "I…I don't want to."

"You need to talk to someone."

"I've been talking to Belle and Cassandra."

"Then why are you mad at _me_?" He sounded sad; when she looked at him, his eyes met hers with a look of yearning. "What did I do wrong?"

Alyssa felt the wall within herself crumbling gently. She sighed and reached to the back of her head to fiddle with her ponytail. "Nothing," she told him. "Nothing. I…I'm sorry, Ian. I really am. I was a jerk, and I know it. It's just…not fair. You're only a little older than I am, and you didn't get sent away." Her voice cracked a bit, but she cleared her throat. "I mean, look at me. My leg's all in a cast and I can't do _anything_ anymore. I could still do a desk job, y'know? But they sent me away. And Ziggy…" She closed her eyes. This time it took longer to compose herself. "Ziggy's side…will never be the same again. And it's all my fault."

Ian reached across the table and laid his hand on top of hers. "Alyssa. It's not your fault. And your leg may be in a cast now, but it'll come off soon." His fingers curled around hers, and he squeezed a bit. "You are not as useless as you think. I mean, didn't you say you planned out this whole thing? They wouldn't have the first clue what to do if you weren't here."

Alyssa looked down at their hands and maneuvered her own so that their fingers were intertwined. When she glanced up at Ian, she gave him a small smile, and he smiled back.

"Okay," Belle's voice huffed suddenly through the device. "We're here."

Alyssa immediately snatched the thing up and pressed the button to speak. "All right. Take a minute to catch your breath. Do you remember the cover story?"

In Veilstone City, Belle doubled over and placed her hands on her knees, breathing deeply. "Yeah," she replied.

"Make sure," Alyssa's voice warned through the earpiece; Belle ran through it in her head. "Tell me it, just in case."

"I got it."

"_Recite it_."

Belle gave an irritated sigh. "Fine. Cassandra is Teresa deSonrisa, an up-and-coming reporter for Veilstone City's Channel Seven News looking to get promoted to anchor by snooping around Team Galactic's base near the lake. We found her and thought she'd be easy to crush, but she put up such a good fight that she took out three of our team of four and threw all my identification stuff in the lake. It was through sheer luck that I managed to apprehend her. Now I'm taking her to the dungeon where she can rot for her crimes."

"So when someone asks who she is, you say…?"

"Exactly what I just told you!" Belle said crossly.

"Perfect. Does Cassandra have it?"

"I do," Cassandra replied. She was much less out-of-breath than Belle and was already well on her way to recovering. "Now we just wait, right?"

"Wait and watch," Alyssa agreed.

Cassandra grabbed the still-panting Belle and tugged her behind some sort of wooden crate. They stayed as still as they could for a few moments, watching the Team Galactic headquarters; they had posted a guard outside the door, a burly-looking man who looked—if it was possible—even more ridiculous in the spacesuit and blue hair than anyone else.

After a while of waiting, the door slid open and a female Team Galactic member about Belle's size came striding out of the building. "Morning, Number Thirty-Seven."

"Morning," the man replied stiffly, and the woman brushed off her skirt and walked past him. She tucked a strand of bright blue hair away from her forehead and walked past Belle and Cassandra's hiding place.

"Got this," Belle whispered; she bent double and scurried quickly, parallel with the Galactic grunt's path.

The woman was frowning and adjusting her sleeves, muttering to herself as she strode briskly down the stone street. Once, she paused and glanced over toward Belle, who ducked quickly behind a crate, heart hammering away in her chest. _Oh my God,_ she thought, panic-stricken. _I am actually doing this._ She didn't have too long to dwell on it, however, because the Galactic grunt had only stopped for a moment; she was walking again in a matter of seconds, and Belle resumed her stalking.

At the corner of the empty street, the Galactic grunt stopped to consider her path, and Belle silently prayed to any gods she could think of that the grunt would turn left; if she turned right, she would head away from Belle, and Belle would have to risk crossing the street to chase after her. Turning left, however, brought her within reach of a surreptitious kidnapping.

After a few minutes of heart-pounding suspense, the Galactic woman turned left, and Belle let out a breath she had not realized that she had been holding. The grunt moved fast; she was obviously in a hurry. Belle was about to ensure that she was going to be _very_ late.

"Can't believe that I have to do this with a Bidoof," the woman was saying right as Belle leapt out of the shadows behind her, reaching out to clamp a hand over the woman's mouth. She struggled, her blue hair flashing across Belle's face, but Belle kept her hold tight and dragged her behind a nearby Dumpster.

_Take her out from behind,_ Alyssa had said. _That way, she won't be able to identify you later._

Belle picked up the nearest object, which happened to be a small chunk of wood, and knocked the woman in the head with it; her eyes rolled back and she immediately stopped struggling.

_Leave a Pokémon with her to keep her unconscious. It should be one that's small enough to not be noticed, but strong enough to be able to move the body if need be._

"Jolteon," Belle whispered, emptying the Poké Ball so that her Pokémon appeared beside her. "You got this?"

Jolteon made a small sound between a hiss and a snarl and gave the woman a Thunder Wave for good measure. Belle began stripping the Galactic grunt's clothes away, which made her feel a bit dirty, but she took her own clothes off and slung them over the woman's bare body.

_Try not to think about what you're doing. She'll be naked, sure, but you need to get over it and move on; we can't take too long._

"You good already?" Cassandra whispered from behind her; Belle started and looked at her.

"No. Can you help me into this?"

They spent the next few minutes struggling to make sense of the Galactic uniform. Finally, they discovered that there was a jumpsuit-like undergarment made of some sort of stretchy, steel-gray material, which was separate from the shirt-dress object. After Belle had laboriously coaxed the jumpsuit to crawl over her skin and gotten Cassandra to zip it up, she had to push herself into the thing she couldn't quite categorize into a dress or just a lengthy tunic, and then she had to wrestle herself into the boots, which were a tad snug. "How do I look?" she asked of Cassandra when she was all done.

Cassandra snorted. "Like an idiot."

"Good, then we're all set. Alyssa? We're good to go."

"Grab that Poké Ball," Cassandra said over Alyssa's "Remember the story!". "They'll be expecting you to have a Bidoof, probably."

"Good idea." Belle tucked the woman's lone Poké Ball into her bra; the rest of her Poké Balls were in some very strangely-located pockets in the jumpsuit. She untied her headscarf and let it flutter to the ground. "All right, let's do this thing."

Heart racing, Belle grabbed Cassandra by the upper arm. "You got your part down?" she asked of her makeshift prisoner.

Cassandra nodded. "I just act limp and weak and protest occasionally."

"And when someone asks your name?"

She replied with a gurgling mumble befitting of someone who has been dragged a long way.

"And when I say the part about how you think Team Galactic's next big plan is a huge scoop, you interrupt with…?"

"I saw you apply the court-ordered Electrodes, and you won't get a new response from either leader!"

"And if you're asked to explain yourself?"

"_You know what I'm talking about_!"

"Good."

"What does that even mean?"

"I have no idea, but Alyssa said that it's a valid point."

"What about you?" Cassandra asked as they prepared to round the corner. "You got the story down?"

"_Yes_, Teresa."

"Is it too late to change my name to Irene?"

"Yes."

"Fine," she huffed in reply. "Wait—wait. Don't forget the story!"

"I won't forget the story," Belle said. "Alyssa, you still with us?"

"Read you loud and clear," Alyssa's voice replied through the earpiece. "Go."

Belle closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to steady herself. For a few very still moments, everything faded away, and the only sound she could hear was the beating of her heart and the air passing into her lungs.

"Belle," Cassandra said. "She said _go_."

She opened her eyes; now she was ready. She stepped out to turn the corner.

Once in view of the Galactic building's giant guard, Belle made a show of dragging Cassandra toward the building, limping as she did so. "Hey! Let us in!"

The guard stepped to the side, eyeing them with interest as they passed with more simplicity than they thought possible into Team Galactic Headquarters.

The inside was crawling with Galactic grunts and a few Rocket ones; they all seemed busy with something, but Belle didn't know what and she didn't much care. She dragged a limp Cassandra to a reception counter (why in the world did they have something as mundane as a reception counter?) and stopped before the Team Galactic woman there.

"Need the keys to the dungeons," Belle said in a low voice. "Caught this one snooping around the—"

"Take the stairs down," the Galactic receptionist replied, jerking her head to her left as she unceremoniously slung a large ring of keys onto the counter. "The elevator's broken. The guards down there will tell you which cell to stick her in."

Dumbfounded, Belle stood frozen for a few moments.

"We applied the cortical electrodes, but were unable to get a neural response from either patient," Cassandra said.

The receptionist raised an eyebrow at her.

Belle smiled, quickly grabbed the key ring off the desk, and bustled Cassandra away. "What the heck did you just _say_?" she hissed, dragging her through the crowd of grunts.

"I have no idea," Cassandra replied, her face going completely pale.

Belle rolled her eyes. "We're in," she said in a whisper to Alyssa. "The dungeons are underground."

"I figured they would be," said Ian's voice reasonably. "You'll be on your own in there—we'll lose signal."

The stairs seemed normal enough for the first flew flights; but then they passed through a door and the steps turned to stone. Two Team Rocket guards flanked the doorway, but rather than being suspicious, they regarded the two girls with a sort of apathy one can only gain from standing motionless for hours on end.

"Cell B-18 is the only empty one right now," one said, gesturing vaguely toward the inside of the large stone dungeon.

Belle nodded. "Hey, just in case, where's the emergency exit? This is only my second or third time down here." It was a long shot, but she wanted to make sure she had an alternate route if she needed it.

"There isn't one," the other guard told her. "This is the only exit."

"Yeah," Belle replied, heart beating wildly as she began to pull Cassandra down the steps. "Okay." She towed Cassandra down the stone pathway and around a corner, where the cells began. "Okay, let's start looking."

"We should head to the empty cell first," Cassandra told her. "They'll be expecting the sound of you locking me up."

"All right," Belle replied, a bit agitated. They started off, and it only took them a few minutes to find Cell Block B. They started down the long row of cells; many of the people inside were asleep, and those who weren't stared vacantly, not seeing anything. Belle bit her lip. It was awful down here.

Cell B-18 was, indeed, empty, and next to a cell that contained a lone person, who was asleep. "All right, we'll open this door, shut it, and then keep looking, okay?"

"Got it," Cassandra replied as Belle began flipping hurriedly through the keys on the ring. She found the one labeled B-18 in block letters and headed towards the lock.

The man in B-16, the cell next door, began to stir, and he sat up and looked straight at Belle. He had long, shaggy blonde hair that hung in his eyes and a blonde beard. He wore the rags of a prison jumpsuit. And he looked _filthy_.

"Who's there?" he asked in a grumble, and lifted a hand to push away his hair. His eyes blinked weakly, roamed once around his cell, and then lighted on Belle's.

The eyes staring back at her were bright blue and almond-shaped, and they were set within a slightly round face around a strangely buttonish nose. They blinked again, tiredly; and then the man's face sharpened, the eyes focused more, the eyebrows descended in a look of anger. "Bring in another person just trying to do some good, did you?"

Belle swallowed.

"You must be new. I can see they haven't trained you on how to deal with the prisoners yet."

She felt her hands curling into fists but couldn't do anything about it; she heard Cassandra's resulting "Ow!" as her grip tightened on her arm.

The eyes flicked to Cassandra and then back. "But you have that natural cruelty, I see. And you can at least meet a gaze—not a lot of you can do that." He made a sound somewhere between a _tsk_ and a scoff as he swept some more hair out of his eyes. "That obviously doesn't mean you're brave."

"Belle," Cassandra whispered. "Belle, come on—what's the matter?"

"I," Belle replied stupidly. "I…"

"Oh, she speaks," the man said flatly. "Not in full sentences, but it's a good start."

"I…I…"

"Tell you what, I'll get you started, okay? It'll be simple—a yes-or-no question." He shifted slightly, his rags swaying limply over his thin limbs, and when he spoke again, it was slow and deliberate, as if he were talking to a rather stupid child. "Is dinner coming soon?"

Belle opened her mouth, and her voice tumbled out in a question she hadn't planned: "Don't you recognize me?"

He snorted derisively. "Recognize you? You all look the same; stupid blue hair, stupid spaceman uniform. Honestly, you have no distinguishing features at all—you could all be clones. I wouldn't recognize my own mother if she came in here looking like you idiots."

"Or your daughter," Belle whispered.

Cassandra glanced over at Belle wonderingly. "Belle?" she whispered. "Is this…?"

Belle's hand slipped from Cassandra's arm, and she took a step forward, bringing herself to stand right in front of the bars of the cell door. She wrapped her fingers around the cold iron and squeezed. "You wouldn't recognize…your own daughter."

His eyes narrowed.

"Dad," she choked out, and she felt tears fill her eyes.

"That's not funny," he spat. "You're a psychopath."

"No," she whispered. "Dad—"

"Listen, sicko, if you don't get away from me right now, I'm going to pull your head through—"

"It's me!" she said a little louder, talking over him. "Dad, it's me, Belle!"

"You stay away from my family!" he shouted.

"Dad, no!" she cried. "Daddy—Daddy, please, I—I came here to rescue you—please—" She slid slowly down until she was kneeling. "Daddy, I…I put temporary dye in my hair, and I knocked out a Galactic grunt and stole her uniform. My friend here—we made up a story for her and I pretended I was bringing her in—Daddy, it's me, it's Belle—"

"Belle," Daniel breathed, and he crawled quickly forward on his hands and knees to put a hand through the bars. Hesitantly he brought his fingers to her cheek; she took in a strange breath that caught in her chest. "Oh God, Belle…it is you. You always made that sound when you were about to cry. You knocked out a Galactic grunt and stole her uniform?" A roguish grin flicked across his features, immediately brightening his sunken face. "That's my girl."

"Dad, I…I missed you." Words began tumbling out of her mouth; her tongue had become a fountain that spewed emotion. "Mom misses you. We all miss you…you should see Derek. He has your eyes." This moment was so surreal!

Cassandra hovered uncertainly in the background. She had met Belle after her father had died, and so she had never known Daniel. She felt the need to give Belle this time alone.

"Belle," he whispered. "It…it really is you, isn't it? You've grown so much. You're sixteen now, right?"

"Right," she replied softly.

"So she decided to name him Derek after all. He has my eyes, huh? How's…Terra? Is she…dating?"

"There's no one else, Dad," Belle replied. "She hasn't dated since you…well…since you died."

He smiled a bit and withdrew his hand. "Ah. I died." He chuckled in a low voice. "I suppose that is what the police would assume."

"Belle," Cassandra said timidly. She stepped forward and gently laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We—we should hurry. Remember, this mission is just to see whether or not your dad's actually down here—"

"Screw that," Belle said forcefully, and she got to her feet and searched through the keys once more. She found the proper key, struggled with the lock for a few seconds, and then wrenched the cell door open with the sound of metal grinding on stone.

"_Belle_!" Cassandra whispered, but Belle wasn't listening; she helped Daniel to his feet and shut the cell door.

"Let's go!" Belle said, shutting the cell door and locking it; she moved out ahead of Cassandra, pulling Daniel with her, heart beating double-time in her chest. This was her father. She had her father. She was escaping with her father.

"My Pokémon," he said. "Venusaur."

"Where are they?"

"I don't know."

"We'll come back for them," Belle said confidently. "Alyssa will think of a way."

"Alyssa?" he asked inquisitively.

"Let's _go_!"

"We _can't_ go!" Cassandra snapped. "There's only one exit, and they'll notice if you take two prisoners out!"

Belle wasn't listening; she ducked under Daniel's arm, supporting him. "Let's get to the furthest corner from the entrance, okay?"

"_Belle_!" Cassandra snapped, but she had no choice but to hurry after her. "Belle, this is not okay! We're just supposed to be making sure he's here!"

"This might not be a good idea," Daniel said with a frown as Belle half-carried, half-dragged him down the cell blocks and toward the back wall.

"We're getting you out."

Daniel glanced down to see the glint in Belle's eyes and knew it was hopeless; he had felt that little gleam on his own face too much to entertain any thoughts of stopping her now.

"Belle!" Cassandra hissed, catching up to her as they approached the shadowy back corner. "What are you doing?"

Belle didn't answer; instead, she rooted around in her uniform and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Come on, Dugtrio!" she said, and the Pokémon appeared before her. "I need you to tunnel us out of here."

"_Trio, trio, trio_!" it agreed and immediately made a ferociously amazing tunnel; Belle followed it, ducking as she entered, and Cassandra followed suit, imploring Belle to see sense the whole way.

Dugtrio was a tunnel expert—as they moved up, up, up, Dugtrio closed the tunnel behind them so that there had been no sign of one at all; when they glanced back, they saw nothing but earth and stone. Cassandra felt panic rising in her chest just before they broke out onto the surface, right next to Jolteon and the Galactic grunt with Belle's clothes draped over her half-naked body.

Belle snatched up her clothes, returned Dugtrio and Jolteon, and sent out Charmy. "Climb on, Dad," she said enthusiastically.

"You're not going to give her clothes back?" Cassandra asked as Belle helped her father onto Charmy's back. "Or her Bidoof?"

"No," Belle replied.

"So I guess Dugtrio sensed Jolteon's movements on the surface," Daniel was saying to himself as Charmy beat his wings for liftoff. "Amazing how smart your Pokémon are, Belle."

She wasn't listening. "Stick to this cliff wall right here," she said to Charmy. "And don't get to high until you're sure we're out of sight of the building, all right?"

"A Charizard! Impressive!" Daniel remarked as the Pokémon obeyed his daughter's commands. "And I see you've got Kanto Pokémon—I suppose that's where you started out!"

"Just like my old man!" Belle agreed, and Daniel's responding gleeful laughter was caught in the wind as Charmy finally flapped his wings powerfully and soared into the air, blowing back Cassandra's angry chastisement so that it wasn't heard—not that Belle was listening to anything other than the voice in her head, which was shouting one thing, and one thing only:

_My dad is alive!_

* * *

**To:** megatcaldwell

**From:** dingdongbelle

**Subject:** Checking in.

* * *

Hi Mom!

Just wondering how you and Derek were doing. Nothing much is going on here; one of Alyssa's Ranger friends showed up a minute ago, and that was pretty cool.

Anyway, it's almost lunchtime, so I gotta go!

Love you!

Belle

* * *

_Okay everybody, I regret to inform you that updates are going to start to slooooow dooowwwnnn. :( Next week starts summer break, and I won't have a lot of Internet access anymore. I'm sorry!_

_So now I will thank my totally awesome reviewers!:_

**_The Finesseful X_**_ (Thank you! I'm glad you like Alexandre! ^_^)_

**_TheFlutterbyEffect _**_(Oh right...I had forgotten about Drew altogether. :/ Oops! No resemblance intended! Thanks for bringing that to my attention!)_

**_Mo12341234 _**_(I love how you totally called Ian's next move, just so you know! That was AWESOME. XD And I'll go ahead and tell you-Derrick's not in the Rocket base. ^_^)_

**_DarkLadyPegasus _**_(My new game is awesome. I am in love with one of the characters and deeply emotionally invested in the storyline. Thanks for asking!)_

**_Mathinza _**_(Yay, a newcomer! You read it all in one sitting? Whoa. o.0 Thank you so much! XD)_

_Well, next chapter its on its slow, laborious way, you guys! I'm sorry that it'll be a long wait. -_- Please don't give up on me! WE'RE ALMOST DONE HERE! _


	59. Chapter 58

The door swung open and Alyssa practically leapt to her feet as Belle lumbered in, supporting her weakened father.

"You moron!" Alyssa shrieked, enraged. When Belle had told her that she had gone ahead and gotten her father, Alyssa had almost crushed the receiver in her hand out of anger. "They'll notice he's gone! We haven't had time to plan for that!"

"He's my _father_," Belle retorted.

Ian rushed forward and grabbed Daniel, who was grinning happily despite the argument his daughter seemed to be having. Heck, he was nearby as his daughter was having an argument, and he had thought he would never see her again. "Who are you, boy?" Daniel asked of him.

"My name is Ian Walton, sir," he replied, walking Daniel to a dining room chair. "I'm a friend of Alyssa's. Sit down here, sir, and I'll check your health."

"Why didn't you stop her?" Alyssa demanded of Cassandra; the girl pulled her scarf off and threw it on the counter.

"I _tried_," Cassandra snapped. "She wouldn't listen to me. She won't listen to either of us, Alyssa—he's her _dad_."

"Well, he is!" Belle cried.

"I don't care," Alyssa barked. "Do you know how much danger you've put us in? Team Galactic will be looking for him! And they don't screw around, Belle! Did I mention that they blew up a cave? Or that they almost blew up the Ranger School? Or that a few years back they blew up a few lakes? _Lakes_, Belle! A lake is a freakin' _body of water_. I don't know how the hell you even go about blowing one up, but they found a way! These people are insane!"

"They won't notice that I'm gone for the first few weeks," Daniel croaked hoarsely from the dining room, where Ian had produced doctor's tools and was checking Daniel's blood pressure. "Easy there, boy, can't you see I'm frail?"

"Sorry, sir."

"The Rockets are on prisoner duty for right now; in a week or two, their shift will be up, and then another Galactic squad will be doing it again. That's when you need to start worrying."

"So we've got a week or two to figure out how to get the hell away from Team Galactic? Freakin' fantastic." Alyssa began to pace on her crutches around the empty living room. "Are you important to them?"

"Alyssa, can we not talk strategy for two seconds?" Belle snarled. "I haven't seen my dad in forever. Actually, I thought my dad was _dead_."

"Calm down, Belle," Cassandra said, reaching for her, but Belle jerked away.

"I will _not_ calm down! I was just reunited with my father, and all Alyssa cares about is planning and strategy!"

"Well, _someone_ needs to be worried about the state of things!" Alyssa shouted, whirling toward Belle. "You screwed up, Belle! Okay? _You screwed up_. Once the Galactics realize that their prisoner is missing, they'll freak out and go looking for him, and we don't have a lot of time before that happens. We don't have _time_ for you to get all mushy and lovey-dovey. You just put a huge price on our heads, and we are not prepared for that sort of danger. And you don't even realize what you've done! Dammit, Belle, I knew I should've made you stay here! Ian should've gone—he would've been more objective about the situation, more levelheaded! You just rushed in there and grabbed your dad, damn the consequences! You have put our lives in jeopardy!"

"Well excuse me for wanting to rescue my _dad_!"

Alyssa's face contorted with rage, and she hobbled over to Belle to grab her collar, pulling her close so that their faces were inches away. "I get that he's your dad," she growled. "And I get that you wanted to save him. But what you just did was put us _all_—including your dad, Terra, and Derek—in more danger than necessary. I've risked my life plenty up until now, but I've never had someone else risk it for me. And I don't much like it."

"Girls," Daniel said, getting to his feet. "Enough. Belle, your friend his right. Belle's friend, let go of Belle, all right? Everyone just calm down."

Alyssa released Belle and allowed her to take a few steps back. "My name is Alyssa Thompson, sir."

"Nice to meet you. And you, young lady, you said you're Cassandra Étoile?"

"Yes, sir."

"It's nice to meet you too. Now, ladies—and gentleman—listen. We have time to figure this out. For right now, let's just sit down, and someone make me some real food, because I haven't eaten anything good in eight years."

"I will, Dad," Belle said quickly, pulling off her coat and hurrying into the kitchen.

"Good. Now come on, everyone. I want to get to know you all, and then we can get on with the plan. I have something rather big to tell you."

"Something big?" Cassandra asked, wiping the dirt off her face as she settled into a chair.

"After I get to know you."

* * *

Alyssa found herself feeling a little bit of guilt as she talked to Daniel Caldwell for a while; he was magnificently kind, good-natured, and funny, and it was easy to see where Belle had gotten her tenacity—it seemed that while Daniel was in the Galactic Headquarters prison, he had learned all about the building and the team that used it.

Belle cooked up a few cans of soup, insisting that it would be easier on her father's weak digestive system, and served it to everyone as they talked. She sat down next to Daniel and kept her eyes on him the whole time.

"And what do you do, then, Miss Alyssa? And how did you get hurt?" he asked finally.

"Ian and I are Top Rangers," she replied.

Daniel scoffed. "Then what are you so worried about? Team Galactic has something big planned; you can just call the Top Rangers to handle it."

Alyssa and Ian shared a surprised glance.

"Look, honey, Team Galactic can't be taken down by a few kids," he told her. "Remember how a few years back there was that rumor that one single ten-year-old took down the entire organization? It was just a story. The organization never fell; and the kid that took out their leader wasn't a kid. He was in his twenties, and he was a highly-trained police officer.

"Here's the thing. Team Galactic joined up with Team Rocket—I'm sure you all knew that."

"Yeah," Alyssa replied. "Not even the Rangers know why."

Daniel grinned. "I do."

Alyssa's and Ian's mouths dropped open; Ian's spoon clattered into his bowl. "S-sir!" Ian gasped. "The Rangers have been investigating the union of Galactics and Rockets since—since—well, since it happened!"

"It's been a big deal!" Alyssa agreed.

"And you say you _know_?"

Daniel chuckled. "I do know. Would _you_ like to know?"

Ian could only make a strangled noise in his throat, and Alyssa nodded fervently.

He brushed some hair out of his eyes. "I better get a medal out of this."

"We'll see to it," Alyssa assured him.

"All right. Here's the deal. Team Galactic's leader—Cyrus—got taken out by that police guy we were talking about earlier, right? Well, the Galactics never found his body. For a while, they were pretty obsessed with this notion that he was still alive, but they gave that up and moved onto a new topic—time travel."

"Time travel?" Alyssa scoffed.

"Hear me out," Daniel said with a grin. "It's a _good_ story. Now, I got caught right around the time the Galactics hooked up with the Rockets, which was facilitated by some high-up executive. They realized they had a lot in common—their leaders disappeared and they were both trying to locate them. This was mainly a partnership of convenience; the Rockets' turf is Kanto and Johto, and the Galactics decided that they wanted to get hold of Celebi."

"_Celebi_?" Belle asked, dumbfounded. "Celebi's just a legend—it doesn't exist!"

"Nobody thought Giratina existed, either, did they?" Daniel said kindly, placing a hand on her head. "Or Dialga, or Palkia—but that Cyrus guy found a way to get to them. And piss them off in the process.

"Celebi is a time-traveling Pokémon; they figured they could harness its power, go back in time, and warn themselves of what was going to happen. Or something…I'm a little sketchy on those details. No one that I talked to quite understood the big picture, you know?"

"Understandable," Ian said with a nod. "I assume you were talking mostly to grunts."

"Yeah, I was. Anyway, the Galactics hooked up with the Rockets. The Rockets wanted in on the plan. Still, not quite sure what exactly that plan _is_—but, you know, judging by what the Galactics' philosophy is, I'm pretty sure it's incredibly melodramatic and dangerous. So the Galactics got to expand their horizons to Kanto and Johto, the Rockets got a little taste of Sinnoh, and neither had to fight over it; it was a good deal for everyone.

"About a year back, one of my informants told me that they had finally done it—down in Ilex Forest, Johto, a top squad of Rockets and Galactics captured Celebi. They had come across the Pokémon several times, but it always jumped time before they could capture it. Now, it seemed, they had finally perfected the machine that suppressed Celebi's power. They shipped Celebi to the headquarters, and they've been trying to harness its power ever since."

"So let me get this straight," Alyssa said as Daniel shoveled a spoonful of soup into his mouth. "They have the legendary Pokémon Celebi? And they're planning to jump backward in time or something?"

"That sums it up really well, actually," he replied, letting his spoon clatter back down into his bowl. "Well, guys, I'm really tired now, so I'll just go to bed."

"Dad," Belle said, the word rolling off her tongue as though she had never ceased addressing him, "it's mid-afternoon."

He frowned. "Oh. Well, my inner clock's all whacked out, sweetie—no windows underground! Where can a guy lay his head around here, eh?"

"You can use my bed," Belle replied, getting to her feet. "But, uh…how about you shower first?"

"Right, right—shower. Do you have any clothes I can change into?"

"I might, sir," Ian interjected. "I'll get them ready for you."

"Good. You're a good boy," he added as he stood. "You and this girl right here have a thing going, right?" He pointed to Alyssa, whose face immediately flushed red. "She seems like a firecracker. Hope you can handle her."

Ian's ears turned an interesting shade of red as he mumbled something unintelligible.

* * *

_Oh my goodness, I'm back! I'm not dead, I promise!_

_Sorry this chapter is so short, but in addition to not having Internet access for the entire summer I had a massive case of writer's block, which I'm still hoping to cure. I'm working on it, guys! We're almost done here!_

_Also, sorta thinking about making a blog. Do you guys care enough about me to actually read one, or am I just wasting my time thinking about it?_

_So, awesome and amazing reviewers, thank you so much!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(It does have to end =( I'm sorry. But I'm glad you like it so much!)_

**_YoungDarkPegasus _**_(Oh, all the girls' Pokemon are: Belle - Charizard (Charmy), Dugtrio, Jolteon, Primape, Bellossum, Poliwhril; Cassandra - Swampert (Finny), Altaria, Mightyena (Fluffy), Rapidash (Ellia); Alyssa - Zigzagoon (Ziggy). Ha, you asked this question about three months ago, so I'm a tad late in answering, aren't I? ^_^)_

**_WingedSmasher _**_(OMG PSYCHIC POWERS YOU ARE SO LUCKY. And don't worry...things won't be so easy for them later!)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(A delicious twist? Bet Mr. Shyamalan-man never had any of his twists described THAT way! SUCK IT, AVATAR-RUINER.)_

**_Gazing on the Arabesque _**_(I just want to say first that I LOVE your name. It's really pretty. That aside, thanks for your review! I've been writing this story for close to two years now (originally I thought it was only going to take a few months o.0), and I'm glad that someone can see that I've improved in my writing! I like to think of the whole "Venosaur/Venusaur" debacle as a prolonged brainfart of which I'm a bit ashamed. And your question will be answered soon! ^_^)_

**_DTeddybear _**_(YAY SOMEONE GOT THE FIREFLY REFERENCE you have no idea how happy that makes me! XD And thank you so much for your review! Wow, I got TWO reviews that complimented the way my writing has improved; it's enough to make me blush and make my head swell at the same time!)_

_So thank you so much to everyone, and I will try to get back to regular updates! Bear with me, though; I'm still attempting to cure my writer's block! _


	60. Chapter 59

Alyssa yawned absently as she sat up in bed. "Morning, Ziggy," she mumbled sleepily, and the little Pokémon stirred beside her. "Time to change your bandages."

She glanced over at the bundle of blankets in the corner of the room, which was where Belle had slept the night before; she was gone now, off to her first day at the Poffin House, and not without complaints. Alyssa understood her frustration—she had just gotten her father back after eight years of believing him dead, and now she had to rush off to a job as though nothing had happened. Cassandra had managed to convince her that keeping some semblance of normalcy was the best way to deter suspicion from the Galactics, though, and so Belle had grudgingly slumped off to work.

Alyssa collected her crutches from where they leaned against her nightstand and scooped Ziggy carefully into her arms. As usual, she shifted Ziggy to her shoulder and hobbled out of the room; she heard the faint hiss of the shower in the bathroom as she passed it. No doubt Ian was in there. She sighed—the apartment was getting rather crowded, in her opinion.

_Clank!_ Alyssa frowned. What in the world? She glanced into Belle's bedroom—it was empty. The noise must have come from the kitchen. She crutched out of the hallway to investigate.

Daniel stood in the kitchen with his back to her. As she watched, he opened up the cabinet in front of him, stared into it for a few seconds, shut it, and then began the process all over again. Alyssa froze to watch, confused, as he repeatedly opened and closed the kitchen cabinet, never taking anything out of it.

"What are you doing?" she asked finally, her curiosity piqued.

He let out a small cry of surprise and whirled around, stumbling backwards and knocking his head into the halfway-open cabinet door. "Ah—Alyssa," he said, reaching up to rub the back of his head gently. "You startled me."

"Yeah. What are you doing?"

At this, his eyes lit up. "I've been in prison for eight years," he replied. "Do you know how long it's been since I _opened a cabinet_?" Without waiting for an answer, he turned back around and began his process again.

Alyssa chose not to answer, instead laying Ziggy on the floor near the dining room table and going about her daily routine of changing his bandages, this time with the continual _click-thomp_ of an opening and closing cabinet in the background.

As she was finishing up, Alyssa glanced up to see Ian wandering out of the hallway, his hair still wet from his shower. He paused to stare at Daniel for a moment before shaking his head and heading for the kitchen. "Good morning," he called to the room in general.

"Morning," Alyssa replied.

"Good morning!" Daniel cried jovially, slamming the cabinet door shut and whirling toward Ian. "It's morning! That's why the sunlight has such a whitish color!" He pushed past Ian and hurried to the window, pressing his nose against the glass. "Wow, this town is beautiful, isn't it? Look at all the people…and Pokémon."

Ian and Alyssa shared a glance. They weren't quite sure what to say. After a few moments of silence, Ian cleared his throat. "Well, I'm contacting the Ranger HQ today," he informed them.

"What do you think they'll do?" Daniel asked, craning to watch someone as they passed out of his field of vision. "Wow! Did you see the scarf on that woman?"

Alyssa gently stroked Ziggy's fur as she tightened his bandages. "Well, that depends on how seriously they take your testimony. They can't completely disregard it, but they can't be entirely sure of it either; they may send a recon team ahead just to be sure. Once that team's done collecting info, they'll probably plan a raid."

"How long would it take for a recon team to collect info?"

"Anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks," Ian replied. "It depends on their plan."

Daniel shook his head against the window. "We may not have that kind of time."

"We don't have a choice," Ian told him kindly. "The girls and I are a good team, sure, but we can't handle all of Team Galactic on our own if they come looking for you."

"How important are you to them anyway?" Alyssa asked. "How certain are you that they'll come looking for you?"

"Galactic's not in the habit of letting prisoners escape," Daniel said.

He said it lightly, but the sentence hung in the air somewhat ominously; once again, Ian and Alyssa shared a glance. What had they gotten themselves into?

* * *

Cassandra felt bad for getting off earlier than Belle, but she promised her that she would be back to pick her up after her shift. It was early enough that the Contest Hall hadn't closed, so she headed there to wait for Belle's day to end.

The Hall was busy today, even on the outside; people and Pokémon seemed to swarm around, bustling to and fro, and the throng was peppered with reporters—Cassandra pulled her scarf up over her mouth and nose as she pushed through the crowd to the front doors, pulling the rose from her bag and tangling her fingers into the fur of Fluffy's head for reassurance.

"M'lady—what a surprise."

Startled, she whirled to find Alexandré, who smiled at her reaction and glanced away. An Empoleon stood at his right shoulder, scowling down at her. Fluffy growled low in his throat, and the Empoleon glanced at him.

"A Mightyena," he said. "An interesting Pokémon for a Coordinator to have, to be sure. Good day to you, kind sir," he said to Fluffy. "My name is Alexandré—it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Confused, Fluffy stopped his growling and cocked his head.

"I have not seen you in any of Miss Étoile's contests," Alexandré continued.

Fluffy looked up to Cassandra as if inquiring the sanity of his questioner.

"Fluffy isn't a contest Pokémon," Cassandra told Alexandré. "It was his own choice."

"I see. Fluffy, is it? That is a very deceptive name. Now, more introductions are in order. M'lady—Fluffy—I would like you both to meet my first Pokémon companion, Sir Lionel."

The Empoleon nodded slowly.

"Sir Lionel and I have been together for years, as you can probably imagine. He is my most prominent contest partner, the one for whom I am most known."

"Are you very well-known?" Cassandra asked him.

Alexandré blushed and looked away. "I…do not like to brag, m'lady. It is unbecoming. But, to answer your question frankly; yes, I am quite well-known throughout Sinnoh. I am unsure of my popularity in other regions, however. Since you have not heard of me, I assume that my fans in Hoenn are few."

The doors of the Hall began to open as someone attempted to come through, and Cassandra had to hurry out of the way to avoid being hit; Alexandré smiled a bit. "Ah, I have been rude. Would you like your tour now, m'lady?"

"Yes, please," she replied, and he smiled as he offered her his arm.

Alexandré was quite well-known indeed; as they walked together through the lobby, people stopped to whisper and snap pictures. As a camera flashed, Cassandra heard Karen's voice echo from the back of her mind—_Oh, great, you're walking arm-in-arm with a boy in the Contest Hall. Now your picture will be all over the tabloids proclaiming your secret love affair._ She smiled at the thought that someone so crazy could become one of her go-to voices of reason.

"This, as you may have noticed, is the lobby," Alexandré said, breaking her out of her reverie. "Those doors at the back of the hall lead to the four stadiums."

"_Four_ stadiums?" Cassandra repeated. "In one building?"

"Yes—I understand that in Hoenn, different contest ranks take place in different cities?" When she confirmed this with a nod, he smiled. "In Sinnoh, Normal through Master rank contests happen here, in one place."

_I should have researched this,_ Cassandra chided herself inwardly, and she had trouble discerning if the voice was hers or Karen's.

"Alas, I cannot take you into the stadiums," Alexandré told her in a voice that suggested his heart was breaking. "If you aren't a contestant, you must pay to get in. I can, however, show you the parts of the Hall open to all Coordinators. You aren't registered here yet, but…I can get you in." He winked at her, and she felt herself blush.

"How much does it cost to register for a contest?" Cassandra asked as he led her across the lobby.

"Well, first you must register as a Coordinator," he replied easily. "And that doesn't cost much. Only registered Coordinators may compete in contests."

"Does it cost to register for contests?"

"Yes. But if you win, you receive a monetary prize greater than the registration fee." He smiled down at her. "Quite the reward."

She nodded. "It's different from Hoenn," she said. "But wouldn't the prizes make Sinnoh more competitive?"

"It really depends upon the Coordinators. In Hoenn, contestants are competing more for notoriety and a corporate sponsor. In Sinnoh, they're competing for money just as much as fame. It's more beneficial in Sinnoh to take contests slow, while in Hoenn gaining the Master Rank as quickly as possible is everyone's goal." He cocked his head. "So the question becomes, what is more important to you? Is it fame? Is it sponsorship? Or is it a lifelong career? You see, even if you do not gain a sponsor in Sinnoh, you can still be a Coordinator—you can challenge contests repetitively. Ah—this is the door to the main lounge. Just act as though you belong, m'lady, and no one shall know otherwise."

They had arrived at a small door with a lock that required a keycard. Alexandré pulled a card from inside his suit jacket and swiped it with an elegance Cassandra hadn't realized boys could possess; he then pushed through the door, smiling encouragingly at her as he led her inside.

"This is the main lounge," Alexandré said, and Cassandra fought hard to keep her mouth from falling open. She stood in a large room about twice the size of her mother's parlor. There was an area for arcade games, an area for watching television, and even an area for sitting and drinking coffee or tea. All the furniture looked fancy, comfortable, and well-kept; tables gleamed, couch cushions were spotless. The room was full of people of all ages. One girl had bright pink hair, and Cassandra had to do a double-take. "Coordinators usually come here to socialize and trade tips." He smiled at a few greetings as he led her through the room and toward another door. "This opens into the rehearsal room."

The rehearsal room was at least double the size of the lounge; it was plain and square, and people and Pokémon dotted the floor. Alexandré began to lead her around the perimeter. "Here, Coordinators can practice their routines and battles." He pointed to a girl in the far corner, practicing a complicated-looking dance step with a Zangoose. "She's practicing her routine." He pointed to a pair of Coordinators pitting a Lopunny and a blue Gastrodon against each other. "They are battling." As Cassandra watched, Lopunny spun in a circle and kicked gracefully out at the Gastrodon, who fell over most awkwardly. The Lopunny's Coordinator then began to offer the other advice.

"Everyone seems so friendly here," Cassandra said, and Alexandré chuckled.

"Having one Hall brings us into something of a community," he replied, leading her back toward the door. "While we would like to win, we also form relationships, and so we would like to see others succeed. Come—I'll show you the rest of the Hall."

Cassandra felt as if she were floating on some sort of cloud. A community? Friendly Coordinators? It all felt like a dream.

A beautiful, perfect dream.

"I wonder, m'lady," Alexandré was saying as he led her back through the lounge, "would you possibly like to come back and spend some time with me here some days? I would…enjoy the company."

Cassandra smiled.

* * *

_Dear Karen,_

_I took a tour of the Contest Hall today. You'd love it. There's a lounge and a rehearsal room—you'd want me to start rehearsing immediately, I'm sure, but I have more important things to worry about right now. Like getting money…and other things._

_Well, I hope you're doing well, and I miss you. Tell Chryssi and Enja I said hi._

_Love much,_

_Cassandra_

* * *

**_I'M NOT DEAD EVERYBODY! _**_I'm still around, and I'm still writing, slowly but surely!_

_I know it's been a long time, and I won't promise regular updates from here on out, but I promise that this story will continue! I haven't forgotten about it, and I love it AND you guys. Things have just gotten a tad busy._

_Anyway, thanks to all my reviewers!:_

**_WingedSmasher _**_(OH you're Mo! I'm so glad you told me; I wouldn't have known otherwise! And I've always wondered as to how in the heck they blew those lakes up.)_

**_Gazing on the Arabesque _**_(Wow, everyone keeps asking about Derrick! Stop worrying, you guys. I have a plan ;D)_

**_EternalPKK _**_(Thanks! My writer's block still abounds, but I'm pushing through it. And as for who would be so cruel as to capture Celebi-the same weirdos who blew up a lake, of course!)_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(I'm glad everyone likes Daniel! I'm having a lot of fun writing him. And I'm also glad that I'm not the only one with update problems right now! XD)_

**_twisted diction _**_(Thank you! It's good to be back! ...sort of!)_

**_EmblemDuelist _**_(Yay you like Daniel too! Thank you!)_

_So a big thank you to everybody, and please bear with me! We're close to the end here!_


	61. Chapter 60

"And just when they think they have the upper hand—_boom_! You hit 'em with a move that's super-effective against their Pokémon." Daniel slapped his hand on the table to prove his point. The low buzz of conversation in the living room stopped for just a moment as Alyssa, Ian, and Cassandra glanced curiously toward the noise, but they resumed almost right away.

"Mom did that to me in our Gym battle," Belle replied, setting one of the brownies she had just made in front of him before settling into a chair. "Tsukiyomi knew Earthquake."

Daniel smiled wistfully and picked off a corner of the brownie. "Your mother's always been smart," he said.

"Why haven't you called her yet?" Belle asked, sitting forward. "We should do that soon. Maybe right now!"

"No," he replied. "Don't."

"Why?" she demanded. "She _deserves_ to know you're alive, Dad. You're her _husband_. And Derek deserves to know, too—you're his dad."

Daniel shook his head slowly. "It's not that simple."

"It is too! Look, Dad," she continued, "if you don't tell her, _I_ will." She pressed her palms against the table and got up, but Daniel caught her wrist.

"No," he repeated. "Sit back down."

She wanted to break away, but his grip was as strong as a Machoke's; besides that, he was her father, and she was used to obeying him. She slowly lowered herself into the chair again, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I don't know what's going to happen after this," he told her slowly, not removing his hand. "The Galactics might find me before the Top Rangers arrive. They might kill me. And I don't want to let her know I'm alive just for them to kill me."

"We'll protect you," Belle said immediately. "We won't let them touch you."

He shook his head again. "They're not like you and me. They're not human. They're machines. They won't hesitate to kill you or your Pokémon. Their numbers will overwhelm you."

"Then we could send you to Kanto to live with Mom and Derek."

"Absolutely not!" he said, his voice a little louder. He finally took his hand away to gesture vaguely, as though not quite sure what movement would prove his adamancy. "I'm worried enough that I'm putting _you_ all in danger, but Alyssa and Ian are Top Rangers and can easily call in for help. I will not put Terra and Derek at risk like that."

"She should know you're alive!" Belle insisted.

"It's been eight years. _Eight_ _years_. She might just be getting over me! I will not give her a glimmer of hope that might be ripped away the moment I die! I'm not doing that to her!"

"You won't die, Dad! She should know!" She went to get up again, but this time Daniel sprang to his feet and blocked her path.

"Belle!" he snapped sharply, and she flinched and shrank back immediately. She knew this tone. The last time she had heard it, she had been very young, and she had been in quite a lot of trouble. Just like before, her gaze went straight to the floor, and she brought her arms across her chest. "This is _not_ something to be impulsive about. I have thought this through. I am not telling your mother that I am alive, just to die _again_. Do you understand?"

She said nothing, only trembled slightly.

"I said, _do you understand_?"

She nodded, feeling tears come to her eyes.

"Good." He sat back down but pushed his brownie away angrily, and he did not indicate that she was invited to sit with him again. Dismissed and ashamed, Belle blinked her tears back and walked past him to the hallway, not even glancing at the three people watching her progress. Her shuffling gait increased to almost a run as she rounded the corner into Alyssa's room, where she had been sleeping lately; she threw herself facedown onto Alyssa's bed.

When Alyssa and Cassandra slipped quietly into the room, all of Belle's Pokémon were out, comforting her. Cassandra shut the door with a quiet _click_, and Belle raised her tear-stained face to look at them. None of them moved for what felt like ages.

Finally, Belle spoke in a small, halting voice, quivering like a child's. "He…he _yelled_ at me."

"Hey," Alyssa said quietly, moving toward the bed. "It's okay." She sat down and reached out to join Poliwhirl in rubbing Belle's back.

"He still loves you," Cassandra told her, and Belle laughed a little, wiping away her tears.

"I know _that_. It's just…weird. It still affects me just as much as it did before."

"He's your dad," Alyssa said simply, and Belle nodded. Silence fell on them again.

After a few moments, Cassandra smiled. "Well, we sort of need to go grocery shopping. Wanna go?"

"Right now?" Belle asked.

"Why not? We need things. It'll be a good excuse to get away from the boys."

Alyssa grinned slyly. "You _want_ to get away from boys?"

Cassandra blushed. "Shut up."

Belle cracked a smile finally. It was fun to tease Cassandra about her mysterious Alexandré. From the sound of it, she liked him, and Belle and Alyssa were eager to meet him—when things died down, of course. "I'm up for it," Belle said, sitting up. She dried her face on her hands. "We do need some peanut butter."

* * *

Cassandra felt somewhat excited. Grocery shopping seemed like it would be a fun activity for just the three of them, a nice distraction from the strange peril that hung over their heads. She felt giddy all the way to the store; she kept laughing at stupid things, which made Belle laugh as well, which got Alyssa laughing. It seemed to be a promising affair.

Things turned sour rather quickly, however; they hadn't been in the store for ten minutes before Alyssa was somehow reminded of the Galactics, and she turned grumpy immediately. No matter how many attempts Cassandra made to lighten the mood, Alyssa remained tight-lipped and irritable, her mouth dipped into a constant frown. Belle seemed to remain positive. She was relishing this time out of the apartment, and she had begun to realize that her father wouldn't be mad at her forever; in all likelihood, he would be perfectly fine by the time she got back. Somehow she managed to keep thoughts of the Galactics at bay as she judged two bunches of bananas.

"Can we just hurry up?" Alyssa snapped. "My leg's starting to hurt." She shifted crankily on her crutches as if to prove her point.

Belle rolled her eyes. "You know what? Maybe it'll be faster if we split up."

"It'll take me longer to do things by myself," Alyssa countered.

Cassandra seemed to slump. Her outing was ruined. Belle gently touched her elbow. "Hey, Cassandra. How about you go get the peanut butter, and I'll take the cart and cranky-pants over here to pick up the carrots?"

"I am _not_ a cranky-pants," Alyssa said petulantly.

"Right. C'mon."

Cassandra stifled her giggle and turned away to head off down the aisles. Seeing Belle and Alyssa like that reminded her of Joanna and Gerald.

Her face fell. Joanna and Gerald. She wondered what was happening with them now. She hadn't heard from them since Joanna had called and talked about her history as a Coordinator. Had her father decided on a divorce? Joanna had seemed awfully worried about that being a possibility. And even though she had never been on good terms with her mother, Cassandra wasn't sure how to react to the possibility of her parents splitting up.

With a start, Cassandra realized that she had walked right past the peanut butter aisle; feeling slightly foolish, she turned and made her way back to it. She passed it again, but on her third try she found it and made a beeline for the peanut butter. Someone appeared at the end of the aisle, and the movement made her glance slightly at them.

And then she did a double-take.

Was that Alexandré? Here? In a grocery store? She glanced around, surprised. She had never pictured him in a place as mundane as a _grocery store_; but then again, how else would he buy groceries?

But still—it couldn't be him, could it? She squinted. That was definitely his trademark cloak and his dark blue hair. But Alexandré _was_ famous around here—wouldn't many young aspiring Coordinators attempt to copy his look?

"A-Alexandré?" she called tentatively. She had to know.

He turned gracefully, and his face broke into a shy smile. It _was_ him. "M'lady," he said, and he put down the can he had been inspecting to walk over to her. "Imagine seeing someone as brilliant as you in a place as lackluster as this." He swept her hand into his and bent over it, brushing his lips over her knuckles.

"I was sort of thinking the same thing about you." She was starting to get used to his gallant actions and the eloquent way he spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"Surely the same as you," he replied. "Buying groceries."

She smiled sheepishly. "Right." She cocked her head at him, still smiling. Belle and Alyssa were here with her—maybe they could finally meet him! She felt a bit of excitement swelling in her chest. She had been wanting to introduce them for a few days now; Alexandré had become an almost daily presence, and the fact that he hadn't met her closest friends even though she lived with them seemed absurd. "So—"

"Hey, Cassandra!" called Belle's voice from behind her. She turned; Belle was walking up the aisle, pushing the rattling cart ahead of her. "You're taking forever. Have you gotten the peanut butter yet?"

"Oh, Belle!" She felt her face break into an even bigger smile. This was excellent! "Come here—I want you to meet Alexandré."

Belle's eyes snapped to him as she came closer, and a sly smile flitted across her face. "Oh, so _you're_ the famous Alexandré." She seemed to take in his appearance with an appraising look as he bowed slightly. "We've heard a lot about you."

"We?" he inquired curiously.

"Me and our resident cripple," Belle told him, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "She's moving kinda low today; she's on her way."

"Don't call her that," Cassandra said worriedly.

"It is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Belle," Alexandré said. Cassandra glanced at him. Until now, she had assumed that he called every girl "m'lady".

"You could have _waited_ for me," huffed Alyssa's angry voice; Cassandra and Belle both turned to watch her round the corner of the aisle.

"Alyssa," Cassandra said quickly, hoping to head off an angry tirade, "I'd like you to meet Alexandré."

"Oh, finally." Alyssa seemed to be in a bit of pain; she was wincing slightly as she crutched along, her eyes on the floor. "We've been waiting for ages."

"It hasn't been that long," Cassandra mumbled in reply, throwing Belle a pleading glance.

"Be nice, now," Belle piped up as Alyssa finally got to them and stopped to adjust her crutches.

"I _am_—" But she trailed off as she looked up and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Her whole face went pale, as though she had seen some sort of ghost.

"Alyssa, are you okay?" Cassandra cried, taking a step toward her; but Belle's hand blocked her way, and the girl nodded toward Alexandré. He, too, looked pale, his gaze locked on Alyssa's face.

The two of them stared at each other, neither of them moving; they didn't even appear to be breathing. No one else came down the aisle. The low grocery-store music seemed to decrease in volume, leaving an eerie silence in its stead. A strange tension so thick surrounded them that Cassandra felt she might choke on the very air around her; nothing felt real anymore, nothing seemed true. This stillness felt like something terrible, like a curse, like a blemish on her perfect circumstance. It didn't make any sense.

And then Alyssa, in one swift movement, moved forward, dropping her crutch to backhand Alexandré straight across the face.

* * *

_So..._

_I updated a week after my last update, like a normal person! Aren't you guys so proud of me? :D_

_I don't think I'll be able to update at all next week, since it's Thanksgiving week and all (HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYPONY! XD), but I promise I'll try and put up Chapter 61 as soon as I can!_

_Now to thank my awesome, wonderful, totally cool reviewers:_

_**The Finesseful X **(Yay! I AM here! And it's nice to see you again, too! Figuratively speaking. And yes, it's almost over, but I promise you'll live XD)_

_**WingedSmasher **(I am doing my best, just for you guys! And thank you so much! I guess sometimes we could all use a little change, huh? In regards to your screenname.)_

_**DTeddyBear **(That's a very interesting question. Actually, I do know someone named Daniel, but I started making Belle's father long before I met him; I've been working on this story for two years (o_0), and the concept of Belle's father emerged not too long after I started. So I suppose the short answer is: No. He's not based off anyone I know. But as for Alyssa and Ian, I have some experience with those types of situations myself; and I suppose you'll just have to wait and see. :P)  
_


	62. Chapter 61

Alyssa's hand hit with a loud, sharp _smack_ and enough force to send Alexandré stumbling; he brought his hand to his cheek and regained his balance, but he froze in place, making no move to retaliate. Alyssa swayed slightly but did not fall. Her expression was composed of pure rage.

Both Cassandra and Belle were dumbfounded; they had no idea what was happening or how to react. They both stood, staring at the pair—Alyssa, crouched and ready to spring, panting heavily; Alexandré, hand over his cheek, shoulders hunched and face hidden by his hair, his breaths shallow.

It was Alyssa who broke the silence. Her voice was low and raspy, and her words came as though she was so angry she wasn't quite sure how to say anything at all. "How _dare_ you." Rage filled every syllable; and even though she had spoken quietly, Alexandré flinched as though she had roared. "Where—where have you _been_? Why haven't you—"

"Please," Alexandré whispered. "Please, Lyssi, try to—"

"_Don't call me that_!" she snapped, and he flinched again. Her voice rose. "Do you have any idea what you did to us, Heath? What you did to _me_?"

Cassandra's and Belle's mouths both fell open as they looked over at Alexandré, who timidly pushed his hair out of his eyes and blinked sorrowfully at Alyssa. Tears stained his cheeks, one of which was bright red from Alyssa's strike.

"Heath?" Cassandra repeated in a whisper.

"That's right," Alyssa snapped. "This is Heath Thompson, my _big_ _brother_, the one who ran away when I was ten. But I suppose you go by _Alexandré_ now?"

He didn't reply, just cast his watery gaze to the floor. He looked so apologetic and sad, like a baby Growlithe that had been caught peeing on the rug. "Please, just…just let me explain—"

"_Explain_?" Alyssa cried, swaying dangerously. "You should have explained _six years ago_!"

"I thought Mom and Dad would come after me," he said in a pleading voice. "Please, just—"

"You left us—Mom, Dad, _me_—heartbroken!" Alyssa's voice cracked on the last word, but she ignored it. "How could you do that to us, Heath?" Tears began to fill her eyes, but the rage never left her features; she still seemed angry even as her voice shook. "How could you do that to _me_?"

"I—I'm so sorry." He buried his face in his hands.

Alyssa, Cassandra, and Belle all watched as his shoulders began to shake; and then Alyssa angrily and awkwardly turned away. "Give me my crutch," she ordered Belle. "We're leaving."

"No," Belle replied. "We're not."

Alyssa looked positively livid. She drew herself up to her full height, still swaying on her lone crutch. "_No_? This person _abandoned_ _my_ _family_. I have no desire to see him."

"This person _is_ your family," Belle told her in a low voice. "And he wants to explain things."

"Just hear him out, Alyssa," Cassandra said.

"Hear him out?" Alyssa snapped. "You don't even _know_ him. He lied to you."

"I know. But I don't go around telling everyone my past as soon as I meet them. I shouldn't expect others to."

"You didn't change your whole identity!"

"No, but he did. And he must have done it for a reason. What purpose would it serve to go around revealing it willy-nilly?"

Alyssa's lip twitched.

"He's your brother," Belle whispered. She scooped up Alyssa's crutch and hugged it to her chest. "Your family. You missed him—"

"Of course I did!" Alyssa hissed. "But I can get over that."

"You're just angry right now," Cassandra said reasonably. "If you don't talk to him, you'll regret it later."

"A _lot_," Belle added.

Alyssa gritted her teeth. "_Give me my crutch_."

"No," the two girls replied in unison. Alyssa glared at them, and they glared back stubbornly. Each knew how willful the others could be; each was determined not to back down. The staring stretched into almost a full minute.

"Alyssa," a small voice said; all three glanced over at Alexandré. He looked nervous under their gazes, but he took a step forward and drew in a deep breath. "Alyssa, please. Let me explain. I…" He hesitated as Alyssa's gaze turned even fiercer. "I…please. Lyssi." The last word was a plea.

Alyssa's lips tightened into a thin line. "We have groceries to put away," she said coldly.

Belle and Cassandra opened their mouths to protest.

"It should take us a while. In an hour, meet me at a place called Winnie's. Do you know where it is?"

Alexandré nodded mutely.

"Good. Don't be late." She snatched the crutch away from Belle's outstretched hands and hobbled away as quickly as she could. Belle shrugged at Cassandra and grabbed the handle of the cart, wheeling it around to follow Alyssa.

Cassandra glanced at Alexandré and opened her mouth, but she wasn't sure what to say; instead, she gently placed a hand on his forearm before following after her friends.

* * *

Alyssa threw the groceries in their proper places with a vengeance; she spoke to no one the entire time, not even Ziggy. When Ian tried to ask her what was wrong, Cassandra gave him a warning glance and shook her head, and Belle mouthed _Later!_ and grimaced.

Winnie's wasn't crowded, and they found that Alexandré had snagged a table in the back corner, away from the main floor of the restaurant; Sheryl was talking to him enthusiastically, and she looked delighted when she saw Cassandra.

"Oh, look—two _famous_ Coordinators right here in my little café!"

"It's nice to see you again, Sheryl," Cassandra said, forcing a smile. "Um—but we're going to need a bit of privacy."

Sheryl's eyes passed over each girl's face. "What's going on?" Her eyes narrowed as she took in Alyssa, and then she glanced back at Alexandré. A strange expression came over her face; she nodded. "There's a partition that I usually only use when a large party comes in, but I'll make an exception. I'll bring you all some drinks first."

As Sheryl bustled off, Alyssa felt she had picked the right place for a meeting.

Alyssa waited until Sheryl had brought drinks and set up a partition nearby to even sit down; when she was properly settled across from Alexandré and in between Belle and Cassandra, she leaned her crutches against the table, set Ziggy in her lap, and stared at Alexandré. "Talk," she ordered simply.

He glanced from Alyssa to Cassandra, then to Belle. "I…my apologies," he said, inclining his head. "I don't mean to be rude, but…I was under the impression that we would be speaking in private."

Cassandra gave Alexandré an apologetic look. "We're here for…moral support, I suppose you'd call it."

He nodded. "Of course. But…I mean no offense…I do not even know Ms. Belle past her name."

Cassandra opened her mouth to speak again, but Alyssa cut her off. "Cassandra and Belle are more my family right now than you are."

His gaze fell to the cup in his hands. "I understand," he said quietly. "I shall make no further protest."

"Good. Now talk."

He nodded again, and he did not lift his eyes as he began to speak. "Let me begin by apologizing. It was not my intent to hurt you, all those years ago. I just…had to leave."

Alyssa made no reply. She simply sat staring at him across the table until he continued. Belle reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"I am not quite sure where to start, seeing as I am not sure where the story begins. Leaving was not a spontaneous decision. If I am honest with myself, I began to contemplate it long before I ever reached thirteen." He drew in a breath. "As you know, I did not quite fit in at the Ranger School."

Once again, Alyssa remained silent when he paused. He glanced at her, and when he saw her determination not to speak, he returned his gaze to his cup and continued.

"The other students nicknamed me _Heather_, which I suppose they thought was very _clever_ of them." A note of bitterness crept into his voice. "They said I acted like a girl, and many assumed me gay. This started when I first entered the Ranger School at five years old. You were but two."

Alyssa felt her composure falter for just a moment. She hadn't realized that her brother's tormenting had begun so early; she had thought it blossomed as he got older.

"It was mild then, but it grew worse as I got older and realized that I had no desire to be a Ranger. I wanted to be a Coordinator. There are few men in the profession now, so you can imagine how many there were back then; the teasing escalated. My schoolmates decided that words were no longer enough. I needed to be _beaten_ into submission." The bitterness grew more tangible, and his hands clutched tighter around his cup. "This began when I was ten. Another boy caught me in a supply shack, practicing Coordinator moves. He immediately began to throttle me. He only relented when he heard a teacher's voice from outside."

This time, Alyssa almost said something.

"This was not an isolated incident. The next day, a few boys cornered me and beat me. The next day, a different group did the same. The next day, a different group. Teachers began to notice, but of course nothing they did helped; no matter how vigilant they were, there was always some place they couldn't watch. Once, one of my roommates even attacked me in my sleep. My other roommates stopped him, of course—even _they_ knew where to draw the line—and he was subsequently expelled, but…that fact remains." His eyes narrowed, and he looked away from his cup. "I do not…_like_ violence. But I knew that I was the only person who could do anything about this. I also knew that I was strong—I spent all my time at home helping our father in the fields. So one day, when someone came to beat me, I beat them instead."

He paused for a long time. Alyssa pursed her lips. This story was sad, and she felt bad for her brother, but there were some things that weren't making sense to her.

Cassandra, however, seemed immensely sympathetic; she was almost on the edge of her seat, and it looked as though she might have been close to tears. "Did it help?" she asked in a whisper.

Alexandré scoffed. "Barely." He took a sip of his drink. "No matter how many people I bested in a fight, there was always someone who thought they could bully me _better_. I fought almost every day, and I mean that in more than the metaphorical sense. I came to blows with someone _almost every day_."

"Why didn't you tell someone?" Alyssa burst out finally; Alexandré looked up, surprise in his eyes. "I knew you were being bullied, but I thought it was an occasional thing. Why didn't you tell Mom or Dad?"

"They wouldn't have helped," he replied. He seemed relieved that she was finally talking to him. "You know our mother…she would have swept into the school and caused some sort of uproar, and that would not have helped me in the least. It only would have worsened the situation."

"What about Dad?"

"I think he knew. You can never tell with him, but…I think he knew. He told me once that kids were cruel, and they would try to tear down anyone different or threatening. He also told me that the only way for a bully to stop bullying someone is for the bully to believe that they are outmatched." Alexandré shook his head. "Unfortunately for me, my tormentors never fully believed this."

"Why didn't you tell _me_?" Alyssa demanded, and her voice cracked on the last word. Her brother's eyes met hers.

He looked at her for a long moment. "Ah," he said quietly. "And now…we get to the crux of the matter." He looked back down at the table and shook his head. "Alyssa, I am sorry that my leaving hurt you, and that I kept things from you. But there is nothing—_nothing_—you could have done to prevent it. It was not your fault."

"I could have helped," she said forcefully.

"What could you have done? Helped me fight? I think not. For one thing, those boys were bigger and stronger than you; for another, you were building your own reputation. You were quite a superstar, even then—teachers and students alike marveled at your raw abilities. I could not distract you from your success my dragging you into my failures."

"So you just _left_? No warning or anything? _That_ was your solution? You didn't even _try_ to tell Mom and Dad that you didn't want to be a Ranger, did you?"

When Alexandré glanced up again, there was a hint of anger in his eyes. "You don't know everything, Alyssa," he said slowly, and his tone was low and dangerous.

She was a bit taken aback, but overall this didn't deter her. "I think I know enough, Heath."

"My name now is _Alexandré_," he snapped loudly; all three girls jumped, startled. He was looking straight at Alyssa now, radiating some strange feeling that made the air around them thick with tension. He sat very still for a very, very long time; and then he flipped his hair out of his eyes and leaned slowly back to rest against the back of his chair. "I tried to tell Mother of my dream to be a Coordinator. All I was able to get out was, 'I don't know if I want to be a Ranger.'" His eyes narrowed, and he took another sip of his drink. "Do you know what she said?"

"No," Alyssa replied coldly.

"Nothing." He drank some more. "She stared at me in utter shock. Tears came to her eyes. But then she composed herself as best she could and told me that, honestly, that was a little disappointing, but that I would do well as an Operator or a Researcher—whichever I chose." He was upset and restless now; he took another drink. "Later that night, I overheard her talking to Father. She was terribly upset, crying, _sobbing_, telling him what I had said and saying that she hoped that it was just a phase. And all I had done was merely _suggest_ that I _might_ not want to be a Ranger. Could you imagine if I had told her what I _really_ wanted?"

"Why didn't you try again?" Alyssa demanded of him. "She would have understood eventually. You didn't have to run out on us—"

"THERE WAS NO LIFE FOR ME THERE!" Alexandré yelled, shooting to his feet; his chair screeched noisily backward, and his now-empty cup fell over and rolled off the table with a clatter. He slammed his hands down onto the table and leaned onto them, bringing his face closer to Alyssa's and lowering his tone. "I—am—_sorry_—that you have suffered some sort of—_abandonment_ issue due to my flight." She leaned slowly backward, but he pushed toward her. "But I do not belong in Almia. There is no place for me there. I have found where I belong, and it is in Contests. Mother would not have understood that. And apparently, neither do you." He stared at her for a moment before withdrawing slowly; he looked away. "I am a fool for believing you would. For thinking that you would still be Lyssi my sissy."

The title brought tears to her eyes, and she stared at his rigid form with blurry vision. "I am," she whispered, but he didn't hear her; he was reaching into his pocket for his wallet, out of which he pulled a few bills to throw down onto the table.

"I will take my leave."

"Wait," Alyssa croaked as he began to move the partition. "Wait!" she said louder, stronger, as she began to struggle to her feet. "Hea—Alexandré! Wait!"

He froze at the name; she continued to flail, even under Belle and Cassandra's helping gestures, until she stumbled crutch-less away from the table and he had to grab her firmly by the elbow to keep her from falling. Taking her chance, she threw her arms around his neck and began sobbing into his shoulder, clutching at his cloak.

"I missed you so much," she gasped.

Slowly, he hugged her back.

"You're my brother, and I can forgive you. I can. I just—I'm just so _mad_—how could you do this to me?" She was unable to string together anything else intelligible, as her voice dissolved into the sobs and refused to do anything else.

He hugged her tighter and began to pat her back the way he used to when they were little. "I didn't do this _to you_. Just…there are times when you must realize that you don't belong, and you must find out where you do."

She closed her eyes. "You didn't belong."

"No. But I think you did."

* * *

Alexandré visited for dinner, and he was somewhat appalled to see how barren the apartment was. He insisted on talking about others and deflected all questions about himself; whenever anyone would ask exactly how he got from Almia to Sinnoh or how he established himself as a Coordinator, he would simply smile and say something like "Ah, that is such a long, boring tale" or "Another time, perhaps". He seemed wary of Ian, but he was quite fond of Daniel, and he often gazed amusedly across the table at him.

When he left, Alyssa stood in the lobby gazing after him, once again between Belle and Cassandra. She was silent long after he disappeared from view, and her friends made no attempt to get her to speak; they could stand in companionable silence for hours if necessary.

"Belle?" Alyssa asked finally.

"Yeah?"

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Go about doing everyday stuff after a long-lost family member reappeared in your life?"

Belle laughed a little. "I'm _still_ not sure."

"And _she_ had to go to work the next day," Cassandra added. "Come on; let's go back up to the apartment."

Belle groaned as they all turned toward the elevator. "Great. You just reminded me that I have work tomorrow. And you don't."

"Oh yeah! I suppose that means I get to sleep in!"

"Bitch," Belle muttered as they boarded the elevator, and Cassandra laughed.

* * *

Belle was not happy.

It had been a trying day at the Poffin House; the date of the next contest was creeping ever nearer, and so Coordinators had been pressing in in earnest, sometimes making upwards of fifty Poffins before finally taking their leave. This meant that the base Poffin batter was constantly being made, and Belle was forever wiping up spills from careless customers and Pokémon alike. To add to all the confusion, one of the vats in the back had tipped, sending half-made batter flooding across the floor and shooting everyone into an almost immediate panic. Belle had spent the rest of her shift vigorously cleaning and attempting to stay out of everyone's way, since the cooks were now flying into a frenzy just trying to supply enough batter to meet the customers' demands. She had even had to stay on for an extra two hours, for which she was almost certain she wouldn't receive any pay, and she was eager to get back home and throw herself onto her bed.

It didn't help that it was extremely cold, especially for this early into winter; her hands went immediately numb as she stepped out of the warmth of the Poffin House, making her search her pockets for her gloves, which she couldn't find. She swore under her breath as she realized she must have left them at home. Not for the first time, she wished she had a Pokémon besides Charmy that she could ride—she was concerned that the Galactics might still be searching for anyone with a Charizard, so she didn't bring him out in public anymore. She also didn't want to spend precious money on a buggy. Scowling darkly, she shoved her fingers into her pockets for warmth and took a few steps forward.

She saw the collision in her mind before it happened; someone was running toward her, head ducked against the cold, not paying attention to where they were going. She didn't have enough time to step out of their way, and so the person's shoulder came into sharp contact with Belle's, tipping her off-balance so that she stumbled and fell almost flat on her face. The person didn't even notice that they had hit someone; they rushed straight into the Poffin House without a backward glance.

Belle growled in her throat. Her joints had already become so numb that moving them was proving difficult. She briefly considered just lying there on the paved walk in front of the Poffin House.

Soon the cold seeping through the ground and biting into her coat roused Belle into sluggish action; she pulled her hands reluctantly from her pockets and put one against the ground, pushing her torso up. As she was doing so, a gloved hand appeared before her, which she seized gratefully; the person helped her to her feet.

"Thanks," she said gruffly, dusting herself off with her other hand.

"No problem," the person replied, and she froze. That voice was awfully familiar; she looked up at him. He was at least a full head taller than her, and he wore a black knit cap over blonde hair and a pale face. His gray eyes sparkled amusedly at her. A Bellossum sat on his shoulder, peering at her with a curious expression. She realized she still had his hand, and she snatched it away; he tucked it into his pocket. "Are you all right?"

"I—I'm just—" The sounds coming from her mouth made little sense to her, and she couldn't arrange them into words in her head. She stared openly at him, absolutely thunderstruck, her mouth still opening and closing like a Magikarp's.

He smiled at her. "How about you tell me where you live, and I'll get you there? It's awfully cold."

She nodded mutely, and he pulled a Poké Ball from his pocket and tossed it beside him; a huge doglike Pokémon rose from it, its orange coat striped with black, its white tail shifting in the cold breeze.

"This is Rargus, my Arcanine."

She nodded again. She felt herself trembling; she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or not.

He moved toward Rargus, who knelt enough for him to lift the Bellossum and place it on the Arcanine's shoulder. "Up you go, Bellove," he said, and this name seemed to rouse Belle from her stupor.

"D-Derrick?" she asked stupidly, and he turned toward her again, his smile growing.

"Who else?" he replied, holding his hand out toward her. "Need some help up?"

* * *

_..._

_Is everyone good now?_

_Everybody feel better?_

_Everybody happy now that Derrick's back? _

_Since he left the story, I don't think a chapter went by without at least one person asking about him. Well, here he is, everyone! XD_

_Also, I know I told you guys that I wouldn't be able to update this week, buuut I had the next chapter and I couldn't WAIT to give it to ya'll! Think of it as a Thanksgiving present! ...or something?_

_And now to thank my totally awesome reviewers!:_

_**The Finesseful X **(You're right-another chapter WAS in order, and here it is! XD)_

_**Gazing on the Arabesque **(Looks like your wait for Derrick is over!)_

_**Winged Smasher **(Thank you for the congratulations! I was SO proud of myself! And I'm proud of myself again XD But I hope your fears are now properly assuaged ;))_

_**DTeddyBear **(Before I say anything else, here's the cardinal rule of the Internet (y'know, minus Rule 34): Check your grammar before you post something about somebody else's. :P You don't want to go toe-to-toe with me on grammatical issues! And thank you for your compliment on my cliffhangers! And for being the first person to comment on Daniel's fatherly side.)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Alyssa DOES know him from somewhere ;) Thank you so much!)_

_Until Chapter 62, then, you guys!_


	63. Chapter 62

Belle blinked confusedly under the lights of the lobby as she mutely led Derrick toward the elevator. What was she supposed to say to him? _Hey, sorry I left you back in Lavender Town, how the hell did you find me? _He didn't seem to care much that she wasn't talking anyway; she heard him whistling a little as he followed her, making no effort to start a conversation.

She pressed the button to call the elevator and stood silently staring at the floor. Derrick stood beside her; she snuck a glance at him and saw him patiently standing before the doors, hands shoved in his coat pockets, whistling good-naturedly. His Bellossum stood on his shoulder still.

When the doors opened, Derrick gestured for Belle to go in first, so she did. She waited for him to join her before pressing the right button. She wondered briefly if he knew that there would be other people in the apartment. She thought that it might be a good time to warn him. She watched the doors close. She felt the rumble of the elevator below her feet. She looked at the floor. She looked at the wall. She looked at her hands. They had Derrick's gloves on them. She ran out of non-Derrick things to look at.

She drew in a deep breath and screwed up her courage. _You can do this, Belle,_ she told herself. Why was she so freaked out, anyway? "Um," she began.

_Way to go,_ she thought dryly.

Derrick looked at her attentively with a somewhat amused expression across his face.

"Uh, I—uh—I live with Alyssa and Cassandra," she stammered.

He nodded. "Yep. Your mom told me that."

She blinked, bewildered. "My mom?"

"Yeah. Y'know—Leader of the Viridian City Gym? Real nice lady? Strange aversion to shoes?"

"Oh—right."

"She's the one who told me where to find you," he added helpfully.

"Oh!"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Well, um, they're not the only ones living there."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. There's this guy Ian."

Derrick raised his eyebrows.

"He's a Ranger. He's sort of Alyssa's partner." Belle frowned. "He's also sort of her boyfriend. I guess. It's…confusing."

"Okay." He nodded and smiled. "Is that it?"

"No, actually. Also…my dad."

It was Derrick's turn to frown. "What about your dad?"

"He…he's living with us."

His eyebrows shot up again, and she could tell he was questioning her sanity.

"He's…alive. That's—well—it's a long story, I guess. Um…I'll tell you when we get there. I guess." _Stop saying that,_ she chided herself.

"Belle…that's amazing. I'm so happy for you."

She looked at his face; he was smiling broadly at her. She felt herself give a tiny smile in reply. "Yeah," she said quietly. "It..it _is_ amazing."

The doors slid open and she led the way down the hall to the apartment; when she got to the door, she began frowning as she unlocked it. How was she supposed to introduce Derrick? What would everyone say? What would her _dad_ say? Her mind was racing as she pushed the door open and leaned inside.

Conveniently, everyone was in the living room—Daniel was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a frying pan in his hand, for some reason, and Alyssa had a hand over her mouth stifling a laugh. Ian looked halfway between concerned and greatly amused, and Cassandra had tears in her eyes from trying not to laugh. They all looked up at her as she stepped inside, hovering awkwardly in the doorway; Daniel looked embarrassed.

"Ah—hey there, sweetheart," Daniel said, waving the frying pan.

Belle suddenly smelled smoke, and she frowned. "Um…what smells like—"

And then Alyssa burst out laughing. "Oh—Belle—your dad—he tried to cook lunch—"

"I, uh…I'm not as good with a stove as I used to be," he muttered, glancing away and setting the frying pan down—now Belle could see that there was something hard and black sitting in a lump inside it.

"He was just—explaining—" Cassandra stopped, and she looked as though she might cry from laughter.

"What's wrong, Belle?" Ian asked.

Everyone frowned and cocked their heads at her, looking at her anew. Now they seemed to notice that she hadn't come fully inside or shut the door or even removed her coat. She fidgeted under their gazes.

"Uh, guys," she said slowly, scratching at her neck though it didn't really itch. "Um…well…this is Derrick." She shuffled aside so that he could come in behind her.

"Hi, everyone," Derrick said jovially, nudging the door shut with his heel.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. Belle had told him about Derrick, and he had been appropriately sympathetic. But now here was a real, live _boy_, and Belle was bringing him home.

His paternal instincts kicked in.

Ian was the most aware that no one had said anything; he got to his feet and walked over, thrusting his hand forward with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Derrick," he said, and Derrick seized Ian's hand for a handshake. "I'm Ian."

Cassandra stood as well. "I'm Cassandra," she said.

"You should come in," Alyssa told him from her seat. "I'm a cripple; I can't get up without a _lot_ of difficulty." She gestured toward her leg. "I'm Alyssa, by the way."

Derrick smiled. "All right."

"Here," Ian said. "Let me take your coat, man."

Derrick took his Bellossum from his shoulder and placed her on the floor. He took off his hat, shoved it into his coat pocket, and then removed his coat, which he handed to Ian.

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?" Cassandra exclaimed as she caught sight of his bare hands.

"I was," he replied. "But Belle wasn't, and she looked cold, so I gave them to her."

Daniel's eyebrows raised briefly.

Belle remembered the gloves and stripped them from her hands. She went about unbundling as Derrick removed his shoes and followed Ian into the living room. Her hands were shaking. This was all so strange. Derrick had just showed up, somehow knew exactly where to find her—probably due to Terra—and, as if that wasn't strange enough, seemed to want _absolutely no explanation_ from her. She might have been less shaky and nervous if he had demanded _some_ details, but instead he was acting as though nothing had happened.

Before Derrick could sit, Daniel rose and stood before him, frowning down at the boy's face. "Derrick," he said.

Derrick nodded. "Sir."

"My name is Daniel Caldwell. I'm Belle's father."

He nodded again and offered his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, sir."

Daniel grasped the boy's hand.

"Especially since I thought you were dead. It's nice to see you're not a zombie."

A brief moment of silence followed these words; and then Daniel's face split into a huge smile. He let out a deep laugh. "You're all right, huh, kid?" He smacked him on the back. "You're all right."

"So, Derrick," Cassandra said as the two of them sat down, "what brings you to Sinnoh?"

"Yeah," Belle piped up, joining them. "What brings you here?"

Derrick smiled. "I wanted to find Belle. Miss Terra told me where to go, so…here I am. I just got here about a week ago. I thought it'd be…intrusive, I guess…if I just came straight here, so I just found the Poffin House and waited outside until I saw Belle." He laughed. "I mean, I beat all eight gyms in Kanto, so what was I supposed to do there, anyway?"

"And…was there anything you wanted to ask me?"

"Nope."

"Not even…privately?"

"Nope."

"…nothing?"

He glanced at her with a grin. "If you're asking if I want to know why you ran out on me, the answer's no. I don't care. You did it, Miss Terra said you regretted it, and that's good enough for me. I don't even want an apology, really. But I did want to see you again, so…here I am."

Belle didn't know how to reply. Her mouth fell open in disbelief; Derrick's smile widened.

"Honestly, Belle. I'm just happy to see you."

"I…I'm happy to see you, too."

He nodded. "Good. Oh—I didn't properly introduce you to Bellove, did I? Bellove, dear!"

Derrick's Bellossum was still by the entrance; hearing her name, she wandered over, eyeing everyone shyly. She climbed into Derrick's lap and sat there, still watching everyone. "This is Bellove, my Bellossum. Because she doesn't particularly like Poké Balls, she's the one who accompanies me most of the time. Say hello, Bellove."

The Bellossum made absolutely no sound.

Derrick chuckled. "She's a bit shy."

Belle slowly sat down in the floor next to Derrick. "So…when did you get her?"

"Oh, shortly after I entered Fuchsia City. Her trainer wasn't quite sure how to handle her because she was so shy; but she took a liking to me, so I traded my Geodude for her." He stroked one of the flowers on her head. "She's awfully stubborn. Reminds me a little of you, Belle," he added with a smile, and Alyssa snickered.

"So, was Bellove her previous trainer's name for her?" Cassandra asked.

"Oh, no," Derrick replied. "I started calling her that after I got her."

"But I thought Pokémon don't respond to new names after they've been traded."

"They usually don't," Daniel said, watching Bellove. "This one must not have bonded very well with her previous trainer."

"Probably not," Derrick admitted. "But she's my sweetie, my Bellove."

"Bellove, huh?" Daniel muttered.

A silence descended as they all watched Bellove watch them. It was broken after a few seconds by a strange beeping; Ian leapt to his feet.

"That's my Styler," he said, rushing down the hallway.

Alyssa's eyes lit up. "That may be a message from the Top Rangers."

Derrick frowned. "What's going on?"

"It's a long story," Belle told him. "We'll tell it to you over dinner, probably."

"He's staying for dinner?" Daniel asked, snapping out of his reverie.

"Well, I assumed he'd just be staying here, period," Alyssa said, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"There's no room," Daniel said.

"Ian's got plenty of room. He can sleep in there."

Daniel's eyes snapped to Derrick's face and narrowed. Derrick looked at him apologetically.

Ian stumbled out of the hallway, clutching his Styler, his face a strange mix of emotions. "I—I—"

"Well, spit it out," Alyssa said, twisting to look at him.

Ian's gaze roamed over Derrick. He appeared uncertain.

"It's okay," Belle assured him. "We're going to fill him in later anyway."

Ian glanced at Alyssa for confirmation; she nodded. He took a deep breath. "That was Chairperson Erma."

Alyssa frowned. "You mean Ranger HQ, right?"

"No. I mean Chairperson Erma _herself_."

Belle glanced at Alyssa's amazed face. She had no clue who Chairperson Erma was, but obviously she was important.

Ian waved his Styler. "She said the Top Rangers are coming. _Tomorrow_."

"Without sending a scouting party first?" Alyssa demanded.

"She said that they're already contacting the region's gym leaders. And the Champion."

A hush settled over everyone in the room. They may not have known who Chairperson Erma was, but they all understood the importance of the Champion.

"It's going to be a raid," Alyssa whispered.

Ian nodded. "A big one."

Belle felt a churning in her stomach. "We're going to be allowed to participate, right?" she asked. "I mean, we basically _were_ the scouting party. It was our information that triggered this."

Alyssa frowned. "Top Rangers rarely bring in civilians," she said. "But, under the circumstances…you've already played a big part…I don't see why they wouldn't allow it."

"Plus, you and Cassandra are powerful trainers," Ian remarked.

"I am, too," Derrick chimed in. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I want to be a part of this."

"Heath probably will, too," Alyssa muttered—she still had trouble calling him Alexandré. "I bet I can convince whoever is in charge to let you all participate. And I'm not getting left out, either."

"If you all are going in, so am I," Daniel said.

"You don't have any Pokémon, Dad," Belle told him apologetically.

Daniel shook his head. "I _do_ have Pokémon. They're just not with me. And I know that Galactic didn't dispose of them; I've seen them several times."

"Seen them?"

Daniel nodded. "There are a few reasons I want to be a part of this raid…and one of them is a girl. A young girl, probably no older than ten now. Galactic got her young. She had domestic responsibilities—she took care of the prisoners, human and Pokémon. She had a way of calming Pokémon down that made her an excellent caregiver. Occasionally, she would take care of me. We became friends. She would bring my Pokémon down to see me—one at a time—so that I could know they were all right, and they could know I was all right. The Galactics haven't beaten the compassion out of her yet." He shook his head. "That girl's not a criminal. She's a prisoner. And I want to get her out."

"Why is this the first we're hearing about this girl?" Belle asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I've been thinking about her for a while, though."

"What's her name?" Cassandra asked.

"Low-ranking Galactics don't have names," Daniel sneered bitterly. "She was Number 472. She told me that she used to have a name, before the Galactics _found_ her, but she was very young, and she doesn't remember much. She didn't seem willing to talk about what she _did_ remember, so I didn't press her."

"She's only ten?" Alyssa piped up. "When did you start seeing her around?"

Daniel shrugged. "A few years after I arrived, I suppose. She was younger then, of course. I think she was five when I first started seeing her." He scratched at his forehead. "The Galactics might be disgusting, but I'll admit they're clever. They started sending her to the prisoners to reduce violence against the caregivers. Not many of their prisoners could bring themselves to hurt a little girl."

"At any rate," Ian said, "the Top Rangers arrive tomorrow night. Erma didn't say exactly when we were going to start, but she said that we'll be contacted once they touch down." He took a deep breath; he appeared to be shaking, and he wasn't the only one. Belle felt her fingers trembling the way they did before a big battle, and Cassandra's whole frame seemed to be shuddering. Alyssa seemed the calmest, but her eyes were closed in a concentrating frown. "I think there's a big possibility that they'll actually start tomorrow."

"This is too fast," Cassandra muttered.

Alyssa shook her head. "No. I see their reasoning. We can't take too long and run the risk of the Galactics actually finding a way to harness Celebi's power. We have to go in hard, and we have to go in now."

Silence followed her words. Belle's heartbeat kicked into overdrive as she let it sink in that this was _huge_. This was bigger than a young girl fighting to help her father; this was a team of top agents fighting to put down a large criminal organization, possibly to save the world. She glanced at Daniel to see how he was handling it, but the only thing showing on his face was determination. He wanted to get this done.

She did too.

* * *

After everyone had recovered, filled Derrick in, talked the raid to death, and gone to bed one by one, Belle and Derrick sat at the dining room table eating cookies and talking softly. He was different somehow; Belle couldn't quite put her finger on it, but he was definitely different. He told her about his gym battles, made fun of himself for getting stuck at Erika's gym, told her a funny story about a biker he had met on Cycling Road. She nodded as he talked. She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him about her own adventure—it had been a tad lonely, and it sounded much more sad than his—but she was happy to listen to his. She had missed him, and that didn't surprise her. Hadn't she thought of him almost constantly?

"Sabrina said something about you," he said, and she cocked her head.

"She did?"

He nodded. "She told me that you had left Saffron City the very day before I arrived. And then she told me that your battle was one of the most intense she had ever had."

"There was a lot of screaming," Belle said. "Man, I haven't thought about that in a while." And then she frowned.

"What?"

"It's just…she said something to me, after I won…" She screwed up her face. "She told me she knew my dad, and that…" And then her eyes widened. _The way he died…well, you would not expect one of his caliber to go so easily. It doesn't seem…true, almost. _"Oh my…she _knew_."

"Sorry?" Derrick said, frowning.

Belle shook her head. "She _knew_ Dad was alive." She told Derrick what Sabrina had said, and Derrick smiled.

"She probably did. She _is_ psychic."

Belle found herself smiling too. "Son of a bitch."

Derrick laughed a bit.

"So, after that…you went to Cinnabar, right?"

His smile slid off his face, and he looked at his hands upon the table. "Yeah."

She let her unspoken question hang between them for a moment. He had to know that she had seen his mother, knew what he left behind.

"Derrick," she said finally, and he smiled slightly.

"I visited my mother. CI-4 told me you'd been there."

Belle nodded. "I…wanted to see where you lived."

"CI-4 also said that the house was a dump when you visited. After you left, Dr. Anderson gathered some people to fix it up. It's cleaner now. And there's someone with Mom around the clock."

She nodded again.

"I didn't want you to see that."

"Didn't want me to see what? Your mother?"

"Yeah. But…I'm glad that you did. You saved me the trouble of having to yell at Dr. Anderson. I've always admired her." He smiled sadly at her, and her gaze lowered to the table. "If I had come back and seen the inside of the house like that…I mean, the outside had been falling apart for a while. There's only so much a little boy can do, you know?" He ran his fingers through his hair, unwittingly tousling it up. The gesture was so familiar that Belle felt herself smile, and she was glad he wasn't looking at her. "But I always kept the inside as clean as I could. And to find out that Dr. Anderson had been mostly ignoring her…well, I would have been pretty mad if we had arrived and discovered that together. I wouldn't have wanted you to see me like that."

"How was…your mother?"

"She recognized me," he said, smiling. "She was happy to see me for the most part. But she kept asking for Koko."

"Was she…sad…when you left?"

"No, actually." He glanced at her. "She understood. Dr. Anderson had hired a therapist to work with her, so she's been making progress. She understands that I'm on my Pokémon Journey—most of the time, at least. She still asks for me occasionally, but she still seems to be looking for Koko. Sometimes she thinks she still works at the lab. But she's doing better."

"That's good," Belle said. She reached out to lay a hand on his, but she hesitated and placed it awkwardly on the table in front of her instead.

"Blaine mentioned you," he told her, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Him and CI-7 seemed to like you. He told me to ask about your Poliwhirl."

Belle's face fell. "Ah. Poliwhirl."

"What happened?"

"I…I was stupid. I didn't see the puddle, and I drew a blank when I tried to think of what to do next…"

"Puddle? Oh—you mean the ones Blaine's Macgargo leaves all around the battlefield?"

"Yeah. Poliwhirl fell into one. He has a big scar across his back now—look." Belle pulled Poliwhirl's Poké Ball from her belt and let him out; she gently turned him so that Derrick could see the giant, ugly scar marring the Pokémon's back.

"That looks like it hurt," Derrick said softly.

"_Poli_," Poliwhirl agreed in a low voice. Belle gently put a hand on his head.

"So when did you get Poliwhirl here?"

"In Celadon City," she replied. "You know that random pond?"

"Oh yeah! Who else do you have?"

Belle let all her Pokémon out—even Charmy, who seemed happy to see Derrick again—and told him all about how she got each one. Derrick grinned and placed Bellove beside Belle's Bellossum.

"That's funny," he mumbled as they eyed each other warily.

"So who do you have?" Belle asked.

"Well, you've already met Rargus."

"Your Arcanine."

"Right. Remember my Nidoran? He's a Nidoking now. And my Squirtle is a Blastoise. They're all way too big for me to let out in this apartment," he added, and Belle laughed. "But the ones I _can_ introduce to you—besides Bellove here—are Raichu and Henry." A Raichu and a Fearow appeared before her.

"Well, nice to meet you," Belle said to them.

"I'm glad they could finally meet you," Derrick said softly. He glanced at her across the table.

"So…who did _you_ use against Blaine?"

"Well, Blastoise, of course," he said with a laugh. "Nidoking at first, though. I didn't see Magmar's Thunderpunch coming, that's for sure, but Blastoise pushed right through it. He is a _trooper_."

"Did he give you some sort of riddle after the battle?"

"Who, Blastoise?"

"No," she laughed. "_Blaine_."

"Oh, yeah." Derrick grinned.

"I couldn't figure mine out. I've been thinking about it for a while now."

"Well, let's hear it."

She sighed irritably. "Okay, here it is: Life is simply meaningless without me. Oh, you cannot see me! Very blind am I, but yet I capture people securely. Everyone chases me, though some think they do not need me. What am I?" She glanced at Derrick's face only to see that he appeared to be struggling against laughter. "_What_?" she asked.

"Belle." He shook his head. "Blaine thinks he's…some sort of psychologist. He gives people the riddles he thinks they _need_ to find the answer to." His voice became softer, all traces of laughter gone. "That riddle's answer…is love."

She felt the atmosphere shift, and she looked down at her hands. The Pokémon all seemed to feel it too; led by Charmy, they wandered into the living room.

"I've missed you, Belle."

"Derrick," she said. "I…"

"Sh." He reached out and laid a hand on hers. "You don't have to say anything. It's all right."

"I'm just…sorry."

"I know." He squeezed her hand. "It's okay. Belle…"

She looked at him. There was something in his eyes, something that reminded her of that last night in Lavender Town. She remembered falling asleep with her hand in his. She remembered kissing him before she left.

Had he ever known that she had kissed him? She wondered if he had felt it somehow, if his cheek had tingled with the feel of her lips when he woke up. Maybe she would help him remember. Maybe she wanted to kiss him right now, really, _really_ bad. Maybe she would. _I'm going to kiss you,_ she thought determinedly.

As if he had read her mind, Derrick leaned slightly toward her. Her heart began to beat faster, and she realized that she had never kissed a boy. But she wanted to. She wanted to kiss _this_ boy. She leaned toward him. Wait, would their noses get in the way? She tilted her head slightly. That should take care of it; after all, that was how people kissed in the movies…but they also opened their mouths in the movies. Panic-stricken, she began to search through her memories of romantic movie scenes, trying to piece together a proper kissing technique. She had _not_ thought this through.

"It's a little late, isn't it?"

Belle almost jumped out of her skin; she looked around to see Daniel standing in the hallway, watching Belle and Derrick with a level gaze.

"N-not really," Belle replied, rapidly gaining composure. She pulled away from Derrick and sat straight up in her chair.

"You two should get to bed."

"It's not that late," Belle insisted, but Derrick got to his feet and returned Raichu and Henry to their Poké Balls.

"You're absolutely right, sir," he told Daniel. "Over here, Bellove." The Bellossum ventured out of the living room for Derrick to scoop her up. "Good night, sir. Good night, Belle." And he walked down the hall. Belle heard a door open and shut, and then nothing else.

"I guess I'll go to bed too," Belle muttered. She returned her Pokémon to their Poké Balls and went to walk past her father into the hallway, but he blocked her path.

"I want to talk to you," he said. "Sit."

She went back to the table and sat down. Daniel sat in the seat Derrick had previously occupied, linking his fingers together and staring at his hands. He didn't say anything for several seconds.

Belle began silently steeling herself for _the talk_. She compiled some replies she was sure she would need, mainly focusing on the fact that Terra had already given her _the talk_ and that she had her own views on such things (which seemed to be _much_ more conservative than Terra's, something Belle had been horrorstruck to discover). Being a good, dutiful daughter, she vowed that she would let her father at least get in a sentence or two before she interjected.

"Belle," he said, and he sounded weary. He paused.

"I know what you're going to say," she said, grabbing at this opportunity. "And you don't need—"

Daniel held up a hand for silence; Belle clamped her mouth shut immediately. "I don't think you do." He placed his hand back down on the table and waited for a little longer. "I know it's late. I know that I told you to go to bed. But I need to tell you this."

She felt her stomach clinch. Suddenly, she didn't think he was going to give her the talk she was expecting.

"I don't want you to go on this raid."

"What?" she demanded; Daniel squeezed his eyes shut and motioned for her to be quiet. "_What_?" she repeated, more softly.

"It's too dangerous, Belle. I can't allow it."

"I'm the one who came in and _got_ you," she snapped.

"This is very different," he told her. "This time, they'll be on high alert. It'll be violence on a large scale. I can't let you do this."

"Can't _let_ me?" she growled in reply. "I've already proven that I'm a powerful trainer. I'm not some little girl, Dad. I've defeated eight gym leaders, _including_ Mom."

"Those were controlled environments with rules and a referee. This will be totally different. The Galactics don't go by any rules."

"Good. That means I don't have to, either."

Daniel sighed exasperatedly and pushed away from the table, getting to his feet. He turned and walked a few steps toward the kitchen. "Belle," he began.

"No, Dad."

"It's _dangerous_," he said, turning toward her again.

"I don't care!"

"This is—it's just—"

"Dad." He looked at her; a long silence passed between them.

Derek really had gotten his eyes. That piercing blue gaze had caused her to feel many things as a child; comfort, security, fear, guilt. Now all she felt was determination. Now she was old enough to face that gaze with confidence.

"I'm going on the raid," Belle told her father, meeting his eyes. "And that's that."

Daniel sighed like a man who had been on the losing end of many arguments and could tell when it was happening. He ran his hand through his shaggy hair. "Look at you," he murmured. "Cursed with the same stubborn recklessness I am." He laughed a little and placed his hands on his hips as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'm not sure if I should be proud or terrified that you grew up to be just like me, kiddo."

Belle felt herself smiling. _I'm just like my father,_ she thought proudly, and a warm glow started in her belly.

"You grew up to be just like me," he repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. He shook his head, and his gaze fell to the floor. "You grew up. You grew up, Belle," he said again, this time louder. His voice sounded a bit shaky as he turned to her again. "You grew up and I wasn't there to see it happen."

"Dad, I—"

"And you know why?" he said, interrupting her. She fell silent. He looked a little crazy. "Because I'm _stubborn_! Because I'm _reckless_! And you are too!" His voice cracked a little; he put his face in his hands for a moment, shaking his head. When he spoke again, his voice was muffled. "Don't you see what this does to us, Belle?"

"No," she whispered after his pause. His hands slid off his face.

"It takes us away," he told her in a hollow voice, his gaze leveled at the floor. He shook his head as if to clear it. "It takes us away from the people we care about, the people we love. If I had—if I had just—" His voice shook so badly he paused and shook his head again, taking in a huge gulp of air before he continued, much quieter, so that Belle had to strain to hear him. "If I had just…left…well enough alone…if I hadn't tried to stop Team Galactic…I would have been home. Oh, God," he moaned, stopping to bring his hands to his face again. "I would have been…_home_. I would have spent these past…eight years…_eight years_…with you, and Terra, and Derek. I haven't even _met_ Derek," he added in a whisper. "But if I had let it go…if I had just let it go, left well enough alone…" He laughed a humorless laugh. "I'd be there right now, wouldn't I? And instead…look what happened."

He turned away from her, and Belle suspected that he was crying. His shoulders didn't shake, but he was slumped, his face in his hands. He seemed defeated; it made her sad to see him like this. He was her father, her mighty daddy, the man she had looked up to and missed for eight long years. She shifted slightly in her chair, wondering how many times he had mulled this over in prison.

"Dad?" she said quietly, and his head flicked slightly to indicate that he had heard her. "Dad, I…well…" She sucked in a breath. "If you had just…left well enough alone…I don't think I would have been as proud to call you my dad."

He didn't move; for what felt like ages, he stayed perfectly still. And then, finally, slowly, she saw his fingers snaking through his hair to the back of his head. He turned, equally slowly, to look over his shoulder at her, his bent elbow stuck way out past his face. He used to stand that way all the time; when she was younger, she had always wondered how he could twist his torso so awkwardly, and she would practice it in front of a mirror, but she could never do it quite the way he could. Now she smiled shyly at him as if she were eight years old again, waiting for him to dole out some reprimand or punishment.

"You," he said quietly, "are _just_ like your old man."

She felt tears spring to her eyes, and her smile widened. That one sentence meant more to her than the whole of Sinnoh.

* * *

_Look at me, back again after only one week! I am on a roll! *knock on wood* I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! (...if you're even in the US. Are all of you in the US?)_

_Anyway, now to thank my totally awesome reviewers!:_

**_Gazing on the Arabesque _**_(Your wish is my command! ...sort of. I just couldn't leave you guys hanging for TWO WEEKS on that whole slap thing! That would be sadistic!)_

**_DTeddyBear _**_(Still don't think you should fight with me on grammar!)_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(__I'm glad I could brighten your day a bit! I remember driver's ed...it was awful. D:)_

**_WingedSmasher _**_(__Yaay! I'm glad you liked it! XD)_

**_KeepOnMovingUp94 _**_(Your name makes me think of The Jeffersons...and now I have that song stuck in my head...and you read this from the BEGINNING? o_0 That is a LOT of reading. Welcome to the family!)_

**_Fettucini Alfredo _**_(Well, good luck on your own fic! I'm glad you liked mine! And you finished this in two days? That's pretty fast! Well, welcome to the family!)_

_And thanks so much to anyone who may be lurking out there but not reviewing! Just realized I've never thanked you guys! If you exist, thanks for reading!_

_Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by next week. IS IT TOO MUCH TO HOPE FOR?_


	64. Chapter 63

"Everyone ready?" Ian asked as he entered the living room, tugging on one of his gloves.

A chorus of agreement rose from the lips of all six people in the room.

Ian nodded. "Good. Let's go."

The plan was to take a buggy from Hearthome to Veilstone, where the Top Rangers had set up a temporary headquarters. They would receive their orders there. Alyssa had already informed Chairperson Erma of the five civilians wishing to participate in the raid via Styler, and Erma had simply said that Alyssa would have to inform the person in charge.

The ride lasted about an hour, and the city was bustling even though the sun was beginning to set. Alyssa tugged her coat closed over her Ranger uniform, keeping it hidden as she followed after Ian, who led them toward the temporary headquarters.

There might have been over a thousand warehouses near the Galactic building, but Ian managed to single out the one that belonged to the Rangers. After some shifty security procedures at the side door, they were allowed entrance, and the inside couldn't have been more different from the outside.

Belle and Cassandra both halted and stared unabashedly at their surroundings. State-of-the-art computers lined the walls, and the entire building was well-lit by both electricity and Pokémon. All the windows had black coverings on them, which effectively kept outsiders from noticing any activity whatsoever; the entire place was bustling with people and Pokémon, all carrying on jobs of some sort. They sat at computers, they carried equipment from one station to another, they stood around in serious discussion. In the middle of the open floor was a long table, around which stood several important-looking Rangers.

Both Alyssa and Ian shrugged out of their coats. They were in their element here; they confidently led the group toward the center table. "Mr. McFayer," Ian said, and one of the men turned; a Yanmega buzzed at his side.

"Walton," he said gruffly. "Thompson. Can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"No sir, Mr. McFayer," Alyssa replied with a grin.

Mr. McFayer grunted as his gaze roamed over the group behind her: Belle, jaw clenched determinedly; Daniel, looking around in absolute amazement at all the flashing lights and dressed in Ian's clothes; Derrick, smiling and murmuring in reassuring tones to Bellove; Cassandra, long hair pulled back into a ponytail, trying not to look frightened; and Alexandré, the calmest of them all, dressed in what could only be described as a tuxedo. "I was under the impression it'd be just you and Thompson."

"Sir," Alyssa interjected before Ian could reply, "this is Belle Caldwell and Cassandra Étoile, the two who started this whole operation. They and the rest of these people have proved themselves to be excellent trainers, and I insist that they be allowed to participate in this mission."

"You _insist_, eh?" McFayer grumbled. "You can vouch for them, Thompson?"

"I can, sir."

"And you, Walton?"

"Yes, sir," Ian told him.

McFayer grunted again. "Fine. I might have to rework a few plans, but this will be all right. Thompson, Walton, join us at the table. The rest of you—stay out of the way."

Belle opened her mouth to protest, but Alyssa gave her a warning look. "Just be glad he agreed to let you involve yourself," she whispered. "Don't push your luck."

"Get _over_ here, Thompson!" McFayer snapped; Alyssa crutched hurriedly to the table. Several people stood around it, many of which she did not recognize. She stood between Ian and Mr. McFayer.

"Ah, Miss Thompson," said Everett Rayman. She glanced down the table at him; he smiled at her. "Good to see you. How's the leg?"

"It's fine," Alyssa replied with a smile. "How's Casey?"

"She's here—one of our top Operators, actually."

"Yeah, we're all doing well, everyone's all right," McFayer interrupted. "We need to get down to business here."

Alyssa nodded. "Sorry, sir."

"Yeah, yeah. All right, look—we'll be sending in squads all over the building, each having its own purpose. For the most part, the purpose is take down as many Galactics as you can, but we have a few squads evacuating prisoners and a few locating the Pokémon storage room to recover the Pokémon there."

"I know some of my people will want to be on the Pokémon recovery team," Alyssa piped up. McFayer glanced at her, amusement in his eyes.

"Oh yeah? Well how about this—all of _your people_ can be a recovery squad. Walton, you'll be with them. We'll assign a gym leader to your team, too…Volkner, how about you?"

A man in a dark blue jacket at the other end of the table shifted, and Alyssa's eyes widened. He wasn't wearing a ball cap, and he was clean-shaven, but she would recognize those eyes anywhere. That was the man who had helped her on the bus. He smiled a bit at her—he recognized her, too. "I'll do that, sure," he told McFayer.

"Wait," said a young man with short red hair. "You're sending the _strongest_ gym leader on a _recovery_ squad?"

"I'm more of a tactical fighter, Roark," Volkner said in his low voice.

"Don't question the leader, son," said an older man next to Roark, patting him on the shoulder.

"Now, Thompson," McFayer said to her, "you'll be acting as an Operator on this. You'll be with Little Rayman, and she'll show you how to work the computers. You'll be in charge of coordinating a few squads. Got it?"

Alyssa nodded. She was just happy to be able to actually help with the mission.

McFayer went on to assign all eight gym leaders different squads before starting in on describing each squad's maneuvers. Each squad had its own entry point and its own path through the facility, and Alyssa committed each one to memory. When it was done, McFayer sent the gym leaders to find their team members. One woman remained—she had impossibly long blonde hair, which seemed as though it could get in the way of everyday tasks. She gave McFayer a half-smile and asked him in a soft voice, "No squad for me?"

"You'll have the best chance of getting to their leader," McFayer told her. "Use whatever means necessary."

"Understood," she said seriously, and she walked off.

"The Champion," he said by way of explanation in response to Alyssa's confused expression. Then he smiled slightly and rolled his shoulders back. "Now _this_ is the kind of mission I like to handle. None of that sneaking around crap—just charge in, guns blazing, all firepower."

Alyssa wasn't sure if she should feel confident or worried by that statement.

* * *

Belle shifted uneasily. She didn't like the feeling of not being in charge, not knowing what to do. She jammed her hands into her pockets and glanced around, searching the general vicinity for Ian or Alyssa, hoping that one of them would come with some information soon.

Cassandra tugged on Belle's sleeve from where she sat cross-legged on the floor. When Belle looked at her, she nodded to her left, indicating Ian and someone else coming toward them. The other man looked to be in his thirties; he wore a blue naval jacket and dark blue jeans, as well as a serious expression that didn't quite match with his blonde spiky hair. He and Ian stopped to stand before them; Cassandra and Derrick got to their feet. The others had been standing.

"What's up?" Belle asked Ian, her eyes slipping to the other man.

"We've got orders," Ian replied.

"Good," Daniel said with a grin. "Let's hear 'em."

Ian nodded toward the man beside him. "Go ahead, sir."

The group immediately turned their attention to him, and he nodded at them. "Good evening," he said. His voice was smooth, but deeper than his face seemed to indicate, and he spoke calmly. "My name is Volkner. I am the Leader of the Sunyshore City Gym, and also of this squad."

Daniel glanced around at the group. "We're all a squad, together?"

"Mr. McFayer seemed to think that was best," Ian piped up.

"He does not know us," Alexandré said softly. "Why would he decide this?"

Ian shrugged. "It's best not to question him. But he trusts Alyssa's judgment, and she recommended you all."

Volkner allowed a small half-smile to cross his face. "I also trust Miss Thompson's judgment, which is why I agreed to lead this squad."

"Where's Alyssa?" Cassandra asked; Volkner's eyes flitted to her.

"Naturally, because of her injury, she cannot join an infiltration team," he said. "I am surprised to find two rather famous Coordinators here—Cassandra Étoile _and_ Alexandré. What company Miss Thompson keeps."

Cassandra felt herself blush, and she muttered a thank-you under her breath as she looked away.

"I should inform you of our mission. We are a recovery squad, as it were; our mission is to locate the Pokémon storage room and gather the Pokémon we find there."

Daniel met Ian's eyes with a smile. "Our Alyssa sure knows how to make a recommendation, doesn't she?" Ian smiled back, and Belle laughed under her breath.

Volkner watched this exchange with a thoughtful expression. "The only problem is that there are several possible locations for the storage room—the blueprints we obtained are not perfectly detailed. Therefore, at a certain point, we must split up into two teams."

"Just two?" Derrick asked. "I thought there were _several_ possible locations."

Volkner smiled. "We are not the only recovery squad," he replied. "At any rate, we are instructed to take out any Galactics we meet along the way. This is not a stealth mission. If, at any time, your team discovers the location of the _real_ storage room, you will immediately go there, and the leader will inform our Operator via headset."

"Operator?" Belle piped up.

Ian smiled. "Funnily enough, Alyssa is acting as the recovery squad Operator. She'll be standing by to instruct us. Both Volkner and I will have a headset, through which we'll communicate with Alyssa directly."

Belle and Cassandra both smiled, relieved. They felt more comfortable knowing that Alyssa's voice would be in their leaders' ears.

"Now," Volkner interjected, "I'll need to know your names, what Pokémon you have at your disposal, and the strengths and weaknesses of your teams. Do _not_ be boastful, _or_ modest. I need to know the truth in order to successfully coordinate our plan. We only have a few hours before the mission starts and we need to be bursting through our entry point."

They all nodded and began to usher in close to Volkner. It was time to get serious.

* * *

The journey from their nondescript warehouse to the nondescript warehouse owned by the Galactics was a blur of squat grey shapes in the moonlight. If they timed it correctly, they would be entering _after_ the main infiltration had begun; the firepower squads would work to clear the way before the recovery squads hit the floor.

"Pokémon out," Volkner said in a quiet voice, letting out his own Luxray; after learning their teams, he had worked out which Pokémon each person should have out when they entered, just in case there were still a few Galactics left in the warehouse after the previous squad went through it. He had decided on relatively small but powerful Pokémon; Derrick's Bellove, Cassandra's Fluffy, Belle's Jolteon, and Alexandré's Gallade, which he called Cador. Volkner had, at first, been reluctant to include Daniel in the mission once he learned that he had no team, but upon hearing a short retelling of Daniel's story he allowed it. "No man fights stronger than one who has been wronged," he had said with a nod.

They approached the warehouse quietly; in response to a hand signal from Volkner, Luxray burst through the door, startling Belle though she had been expecting it.

The Luxray bolted inside with a flash of fur. As planned, Fluffy followed closely, tailed by Cador.

After a few seconds, Luxray made the noise that was to signal that the room was clear; everyone proceeded into the warehouse. Unconscious (Belle fervently made herself _believe_ they were unconscious) Galactics were strewn about, most with Poké Balls still in hand. One had blood trickling from a wound on his head. Volkner gently pushed his foot under one of them and flipped him over; he remained impassive as everyone else winced away from the man's obviously burned skin. "Ah," he said, flipping him face-down again. His gaze wandered to the corner, where a few Galactics were actually standing perfectly upright and frozen solid. "This is Candice's squad's work."

"Candice?" Cassandra asked.

"The Snowpoint City Gym Leader," Belle, Daniel, Derrick, Alexandré, and Volkner all answered in unison.

"How would you know that?" Derrick asked Daniel in disbelief. "She wasn't in place eight years ago."

"I told you I talked to some of the grunts," Daniel replied. "One of the things I liked to know was the switching up of gym leaders. I also know that Maylene is the Gym Leader of Veilstone City—the Galactics took that as a bit of a blow. They had been trying to get one of their own in there."

Volkner nodded. "Hm. That's very interesting." He walked around a corner; they all followed to see him standing before what had once been a very mighty metal door, now dented and crumpled. He bent to examine where the padlock had once been. "Frozen, then shattered. Also Candice's work."

"She's really not trying to be stealthy, is she?" Cassandra asked.

"This wasn't meant to be a stealth mission," Ian replied simply.

"Let's not dawdle any longer," Volkner said, walking into the large doorway that no longer contained a respectable door. They followed him into a smaller room containing smashed crates and a staircase heading down, to which Volkner walked. He squatted and peered down. "Quiet down there," he muttered. "No doubt Candice has blazed us another icy trail."

Swallowing their trepidations, they followed him into the darkness of the underground warehouse.

* * *

_Hi everyone! I don't know if I'll be able to update next week; I have a very important paper due that I haven't started on (curse my procrastination! .), and I have finals on top of that. Sooooo I may be delayed. Sorry!_

_But for now, here's a huge thank-you to my awesome reviewers!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(I hope the raid lives up to your expectations :/)_

**_KeepOnMovingUp94 _**_(__You're from the UK? Well, then, Happy Whatever Upcoming British Holiday! . My knowledge of British culture is limited to tea, the Queen, and being able to do a fake (and probably terrible) British accent.)_

**_Caigus of the White Lions _**_(__It really HAS been a while since I heard from you! And I'm glad you like Daniel! XD)_

_So, thank you everybody, and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon!_


	65. Chapter 64

In their eerie march through the somewhat abandoned underground warehouse, the squad ran up against only a few Galactics, which Volkner's Luxray took out with a simple Thunderbolt. They didn't even have to stop. But soon they came to the point where they had to split up; Cassandra felt her heart leap into her throat as Volkner signaled for them to halt.

"Remember your path?" Volkner asked of Ian, who nodded sternly. "Good. Here we split. Cassandra, Alexandré—follow me. Good luck to the rest of you."

Cassandra threw a glance back at Ian, Belle, Derrick, and Daniel, who immediately turned and headed in their decided direction. She wished anxiously that she could have been with Belle, but she saw Volkner's reasoning for dividing the teams as he did; Volkner was a tactical fighter, as were Cassandra and Alexandré, but all three of them had at least a few Pokémon that worked on brute strength. Derrick and Belle, on the other hand, had enough firepower between the two of them to protect team-less Daniel, and Ian had enough of a tactical mind to be able to coordinate their attacks. Of course, both Derrick and Belle were used to fighting tactically anyway, since they had fought against and defeated eight gym leaders.

"Focus, Miss Étoile," Volkner said softly, and Cassandra glanced at him.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Apologies will not help us if we are caught unawares."

She nodded. Alexandré placed a hand briefly on her shoulder, reassuring her. She smiled nervously at him.

"Oh," Volkner said after a few minutes of walking, halting abruptly.

"What is it?"

"I think we may have some trouble."

"Galactics?" Alexandré asked in a low voice.

Volkner plucked a Poké Ball off his belt; seeing the movement, Luxray moved to Volkner's side. They were in a narrow hallway that was just about to widen into a room, so it was a good place for an ambush. Volkner motioned for the two of them to stay back; Cassandra and Alexandré took a few steps away from him.

"How does he know?" Cassandra asked in a whisper. Alexandré shrugged in reply, his eyes never leaving Volkner's back.

Suddenly, two Galactics whirled around the corner, raising Poké Balls and yelling, perhaps for backup. Volkner threw his own Ball as soon as he saw them; it released an Octillery, which immediately began to shoot bursts of water at them like some sort of hydro-powered machine gun. The Galactics were lifted off their feet from the sheer force of it and propelled backwards into the room; there was a tumult of shouts, and more Galactics swarmed out of hiding, panicking as they realized their ambush had failed.

Volkner beckoned to them and bounded into the room, Luxray at his heels. Cassandra pointed; Fluffy went running and snarling ahead of her, and she grabbed Finny's Poké Ball as she rushed after him. Alexandré shouted to Cador, his Gallade, as he followed.

Volkner was, indeed, a tactical fighter; he had already subdued several Galactics with Luxray's Thunder Wave, and the remaining ones were trapped on the other side of the room. "A few got down the stairs," he told them, gesturing toward the staircase.

"How many?" Alexandré asked.

"Four."

"Got it," Cassandra called; she grabbed Altaria's Ball just in case and followed Fluffy and Finny down the stairs. The Galactics hadn't gotten far; they were just approaching the bottom of the stairs when Cassandra arrived at the top. "Finny, Muddy Water!"

With a guttural cry, Finny let loose a torrent of murky brown water, which tumbled downstairs and knocked the four Galactics down the last few steps. Two of them cracked their heads against the banister and lay unconscious; one seemed to have injured his leg; the last staggered to his feet, unscathed, and attempted to run away. "Get the straggler, Fluffy!" she cried; Fluffy growled his understanding and bounded down the steps after him.

Hearing his pursuer, the Galactic sped up but only managed to slip on the still-wet floor; Fluffy leapt after him and tackled him to the ground. With a sickening _crack_, the man lay still.

Cassandra carefully picked her way to the last Galactic, who now was trying desperately to crawl away. She swallowed the feeling of sickness as she neared him. She had never, _ever_ done anything this violent before. These were _people_. She took a deep breath.

"What do you want?" the man snapped, still trying to drag himself away.

"Just to incapacitate you," she told him. "I don't want to kill you." Was she seriously having this conversation?

In lieu of responding with any sort of rational comment, the Galactic made a noise in his throat and hocked a large hunk of spit in Cassandra's direction. He had surprisingly good aim; it landed on her cheek.

Without thinking, Cassandra kicked the man in the temple.

She stood there, astonished at what she had just done. The man had slumped down, his torso above the water, completely unconscious. She had just been so _angry_. She wrung her hands before turning to Finny and asking him for some water, which she used to wash her face, hands shaking the whole time. She was still freaking out a little as she climbed the stairs back to Alexandré and Volkner, but she rearranged her features as she entered the room.

The Galactics were all unconscious, and Alexandré was just returning Sir Lionel as she entered. "M'lady," he said, striding toward her. "How fare our enemies?"

"I took care of them," she replied. Her voice shook a bit. Alexandré laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine to be scared," Volkner told her. "You would be very, very stupid if you weren't. Return, Octillery," he added.

As the large Water Pokémon went back to its Ball, Alexandré frowned. "You are an Electric trainer, are you not?" he asked.

Volkner nodded and threw a cursory glance around the room. "Yes. Down the stairs we go."

"Then why do you have an Octillery?"

He paused at the top of the staircase. "It's quite wet down there—watch your step. Many people want to know about my Octillery," he added somewhat thoughtfully as he went carefully down the stairs. "The tale is never as exciting as they imagine. When I was a young boy, just starting out, my parents took a vacation to Slateport City in Hoenn. We made friends with a man there who, upon finding that we lived in a coastal town and that I was a starting trainer, gave me his Octillery. He was moving to Rustboro City to lead a life as a businessman, as I understand it. Octillery was once a Contest Pokémon, and the man said he would be much too busy to train Octillery any longer."

Cassandra could hardly believe her ears—this sounded _very_ familiar.

"He even had a strange little tuxedo. I still have it, in fact."

"What, by chance, was the man's name?" Cassandra asked.

Volkner glanced at her. "Gerald."

"Did you know his last name?"

"I am sure I did then, but I cannot remember it now. Why?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that my dad gave you your Octillery."

Volkner smiled. "Fascinating. And what makes you think this?"

"My mother told me about her days as a Coordinator, and that my father—Gerald Étoile—used an Octillery _in a tuxedo_."

"I doubt that there were many male Coordinators named Gerald using sharply-dressed Octillery for Contests," Alexandré said with a hint of laughter in his voice.

Volkner nodded his agreement. "When you next see your father, tell him to call me. I would love to arrange a meeting."

"Sure," Cassandra said uncertainly, following him down the hallway.

This was the weirdest day ever.

* * *

On her own path, Belle was thinking much the same thing as Cassandra. They had run across many more Galactics than their counterpart; at times, it seemed as though they were fighting through a sea of them. Daniel had no problem without Pokémon. Bellowing, he would leap into the fray and pummel any Galactics unlucky enough to be within arm's reach.

They were in one such situation now; forgoing traditional moves in the tightness of the room, Charmy simply seized the nearest Galactic and flung him the length of the room.

Belle glanced around in the confusion and saw her father grab a Galactic man by his collar, hoist him up, and throw him as best he could into another Galactic. When the two fell down, he immediately went to his original victim, seized his collar again, and began to punch him mercilessly in the face.

"Dad!" Belle cried. "Dad, you might wanna be care—"

"LET DADDY HAVE HIS DADDY TIME, SWEETIE," Daniel yelled back over the din; after pummeling his first victim senseless, he seized another and started on him too.

Someone slammed into Belle, making her stagger forward; reacting on instinct, she whirled toward her assailant and grabbed him by the throat. It was a Galactic, and he seemed to be rethinking his attack strategy as Belle's fingers tightened on his neck.

With a roar, Charmy plucked the man easily from Belle's grasp and flung him into a wall. His tail swept several Galactics from their feet as he turned.

_This is chaos,_ Belle thought, watching her Charizard accidentally set fire to someone. _That could've been Ian, or Derrick, or Dad. It wasn't, but still._ She grabbed Charmy's arm to get his attention; it was time to get control of the situation.

Belle wormed her way through the crowd to Derrick, who was having to fend off three Galactics with the help of little Bellove. Charmy easily pushed the men away. "Thanks," Derrick called over the noise.

"Got a plan!" Belle yelled to him. "Get out Nidoking! We'll need a little Earthquake in a second!"

"That could bring the building down!"

"Not if it's a _little_ Earthquake! Get over to that wall and _wait_!"

Without offering any further explanation, she plunged back into the fray, elbowing unlucky Galactic members as she went. She fought her way to Ian and grabbed his shoulder to get his attention; he glanced at her, surprised. "Go to Derrick!" she yelled.

"Why?"

"Just _do it_!"

"Okay! Geez!"

She left him and glanced around for her father. He was harder to distinguish in all the confusion; she stepped over a fainted Bidoof, kneed a Galactic in the groin, and grabbed Charmy's arm again. "Can you fly for a minute?" she asked him; he roared in agreement. "I need you to get Dad over to Derrick and Ian. Don't worry about me!" she added as he looked at her, alarmed. She pulled out a Poké Ball. "Me and Primape will get over there. And if you knock some Galactics over while you're flying—I know this is a low ceiling—don't worry about that either." She gave him a wink, sent out Primape, and hurried away.

Primape easily beat a path for her, and she reached Derrick and Ian rather quickly. By now the Galactics had noticed the strange movements of their prey and were starting to react accordingly; they pressed Derrick and Ian into the center of a circle, but their Bidoof were having a hard time getting past Prinplup, Nidoking, and Bellove. Belle broke through easily; Nidoking stepped aside to let her into the small space containing Derrick and Ian.

"What the _hell_ are you thinking?" Derrick demanded.

Belle grinned. "Just calm down," she said. "Look, when Dad and Charmy get here, I want you to have Nidoking shake the floor a bit. Just a _bit_," she snapped as both Derrick and Ian opened their mouths to protest. "Just enough to startle the Galactics. Then, we send our Pokémon into them full-force. It's a big crowd; twelve—thirteen, sorry, Prinny—rampaging Pokémon will tear them up easily."

"That's not a bad plan, actually," Ian said. "Catch the enemy unawares—classic."

"Thank you," Belle said smugly, just as Daniel dropped in beside her, landing on his feet.

"A little warning would have been nice," he said, dusting himself off. "What'd I miss?"

"Just brace yourself for the floor to shake and watch the show," Belle told him. She pulled out her remaining four Poké Balls and waited.

Derrick murmured in Nidoking's ear; the Pokémon nodded. The floor began to shake. It was barely noticeable at first, but Nidoking turned it up just a bit—it was perfect. The Galactics all froze, obviously scared that the building was about to collapse.

Belle and Derrick released their remaining Pokémon at the same time. "Just _go_!" Belle screeched at them; understanding the urgency, they all rampaged into the crowd of waiting Galactics. Rargus took out a quarter of the room all on his own; rocks and water and fire and electricity spurted from all over. For a few unbearable seconds, the noise increased in volume so much that they all clapped their hands over their ears; but then, just as quickly, silence. Unconscious (or possibly dead—Belle pushed back the thought) bodies lay in heaps, and thirteen Pokémon turned to face their masters, looking awfully pleased.

"Good job, you guys," Daniel said appreciatively. "You know what, I don't know about you, but all these Galactics make me think we're actually on the right track to the Pokémon storage room."

"I'm getting that vibe too," Ian said, but his tone was much more serious. He pressed the talk button on his headset. "Alyssa, gotta talk to you."

Back in the temporary headquarters, Alyssa squinted at her screen, which displayed the blueprints the Rangers had been given. "Right with you, Recovery Five," she said, briefly scratching between Ziggy's ears. "What's up, Ian?"

"Have the other recovery squads been reporting how many Galactics they've been running into?"

"Yeah. Mostly nothing. The shock squads should have cleared almost everyone out."

"Well, we just ran into a room _full_ of them."

Alyssa sat up straight in her chair and identified Ian's path on the blueprints. "Give me a number."

"Uh, I'd guess about thirty or forty. And that's just the last room. I'm thinking we might be on the right path."

Alyssa removed half her headset and looked over at Casey Rayman, who was sitting next to her and frowning at her own screen. She was coordinating half of the recovery squads and a few shock squads, so she was considerably busier than Alyssa.

"When you've got a minute, Casey," Alyssa said to her. Casey nodded to show she understood, so Alyssa put her headset in place again. "You still there, Recovery Five?"

"Still here."

"I'm flagging your path on my screen, but I'm not telling the other squads yet. Wanna know what I would do?"

"You know it."

She grinned. "You keep running into Galactics? I'd snag one and interrogate him, find out if you're really on the right path."

There was a pause, but when Ian's voice came back, he was laughing. "Belle likes that idea."

"I knew she would! Bust some heads, Ian."

"Will do. Recovery Five out."

Alyssa smiled to herself and put in a few keystrokes, highlighting Ian's path on her blueprints. The room that was his final destination lit up. What she wouldn't give to be going there with him. This organization crap wasn't for her; she wanted to be in the midst of things, right in the middle of the fray.

"What'd you need, Alyssa?" Casey asked.

Alyssa pushed half her headset off again—it was a cumbersome device, much larger than the ones the squad leaders were using—and pointed to her screen. "Flag Recovery Five's path. It might be the one to the real storage room."

"Recovery Five—that's Volkner and Walton, right?" Casey's hands flew over her keyboard; the blueprints whirled on her screen. "Volkner's path, or Walton's?"

"Ian—er, Walton's." It was difficult to remember to address Ian by his last name.

"How do they know?"

"They just ran into forty Galactics. In one room. And that's just their latest skirmish."

Casey's eyebrows raised; Ian's destination lit up on her screen, and she zoomed in on it. "Interesting. At most, the other squads have run into about ten or twelve."

"Yeah."

"Should I alert the other squads?"

"No, they don't know for sure yet. They'll find out soon enough."

Casey nodded; then she frowned. "Shock Three, slow down! I can't understand you!" Her fingers danced on the keyboard again, and the blueprints on her screen zoomed out and turned to another angle. Alyssa turned her attention back to her own screen, somewhat bored. She scratched Ziggy behind his ear. She was coordinating the other half of the recovery squads, and they hadn't radioed in much. She wished Ian could talk to her the whole time, but she knew he had to concentrate on what was going on without trying to relay the scene to her. Beneath her hand, Ziggy sighed heavily; Alyssa smiled. "Yeah, buddy," she said softly. "Me too."

* * *

The next room had a warp tile they were supposed to take; it was an altogether uncomfortable experience. Belle stumbled off it into the next room and grabbed at the wall to steady herself. It wasn't the first warp tile they had taken, and Belle had disliked all of them. They made her feel queasy, and she had to take a small break, breathing deeply as she leaned against the cool wall.

Ian stepped off the tile as if he had been doing it all his life, calling a command to Prinny as he went striding across the room. Belle watched him reproachfully. She tried to swallow back her nausea.

Daniel put a hand on her shoulder and gently helped her stand upright. "We don't have time for that, sweetie," he told her. "Come on—our little Ranger's caught a Galactic."

"I don't feel so great either," Derrick moaned. "I _hate_ those tiles."

Daniel smiled. "Just take a few deep breaths. It'll pass."

They wall walked around a corner to where Prinny had a Galactic woman trapped in a large sphere of water, hovering above the ground. She was kicking her legs wildly and clutching at her throat; Ian gave a command to Prinny, and the Pokémon released her. She fell to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath, pushing sopping wet hair out of her face.

"You—bastard," she stuttered out between coughs.

"That I am," Ian replied coolly. Belle glanced at him. He was markedly different from his usual demeanor. "Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions, and I need you to answer truthfully."

"I'll never tell you _anything_," the woman snapped immediately.

"Prinny?"

In a moment, the woman was in the sphere again. She hadn't had enough time to get a breath; her eyes widened before they squeezed shut against the water, and a few bubbles came from her mouth as she coughed.

Prinny released her again; the water came splashing to the floor, as did she. This time, water spilled from her mouth and throat as she coughed, of which she did a great deal more than the last time.

"I can do this all day," Ian told her unfeelingly. "And when you drown, I can just find someone else to tell me what I need to know."

"Then do that," she sputtered.

"Prinny," he said again.

And she was up in the sphere of water again. This time she waved her hands wildly at them in a gesture that was clearly meant to portray her wish for the water to go away; Ian spoke to Prinny, and she collapsed to the floor a third time, coughing and hacking.

"Fine!" she gasped. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Where is the Pokémon storage room?"

She shook her head. "I don't know."

"Prinny?" Ian said, but the woman waved a hand.

"No—wait! Wait! I _do_ know."

"It's best not to lie to us," Daniel said. "Drowning isn't the only way we can kill you."

She cast a dark glance at Daniel and coughed up another mouthful of water. "Go down that hall," she said, pointing a shaking finger, "go in the room to your right, and hit the warp tile in the left-hand corner. That takes you to another room; go out that room, turn left, and it's the double doors on your right."

They all resisted the urge to glance at each other; they had all seen the map and worked to memorize it, and they knew she had just told them the exact path they had already planned to take. Belle nodded and made to walk off, but Ian raised a hand to stop her.

"So," he said, almost conversationally, "how many Galactics will be along the way to ambush us?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

In a flash, she was in the water sphere. When Prinny released her and she fell to the floor, she brought herself onto all fours and coughed so hard she sounded dangerously close to vomiting.

"My colleague told you not to lie," Ian told her. "You should have listened."

They watched her cough for a few more minutes. "Fine," she wheezed. She drew in some labored breaths and hacked up a bit more water. "You've taken out—most of—the guards," she said between coughs. "There's a—last-resort squad—in the hall—outside the room." After another round of hacking, she added, "But there's no telling—if they're still alive. Your—Rangers—have done a good job—of wiping us _out_. And all they had—were Bidoof." She laid down on the floor and took a few breaths as her coughing subsided, closing her eyes. She raised a hand to indicate that they should wait a moment. Finally, she drew a shaky breath and continued. "The door is locked," she said, her voice raspy and weak now. "And it's strong. It'll be hard to knock it down."

"So how do we get in?" Ian asked her calmly.

She slowly put a hand in a pocket and pulled out a plastic card key. "No telling if it still works," she said, the hint of a sadistic smile crossing her lips. She tossed it at Ian's feet. "Seeing as now it's soaked."

"I appreciate the sentiment," Ian replied. "But I don't trust that this is the actual key."

She shrugged. "Whatever you want to believe. Team Galactic is dead," she told him. "The teams coming through took us by surprise. We're pretty much wiped out. If Commander Saturn dies, we're done for, whether Team Rocket's leaders survive or not. The whole alliance was shaky to begin with. And Galactic Rocket is a _stupid_ name."

"Why are you telling us this?"

"I'm probably going to die. Who cares if I tell you guys anything? I shouldn't have even been down here today."

"One more question," Daniel said. The woman glanced at him. "Do you know anything about Number 472?"

The woman snorted weakly. "The little girl who works the storage room?"

"Yes. Is she safe?"

"The storage room's door is locked up pretty tight. It takes a card key like that one—"—she pointed—"or an _extraordinary_ amount of force to open it. Not even a Wailord can Body Slam that door open. And only high-ranking Galactics have a key like that. And the warp tile inside only goes one way—out." She coughed and spluttered for a few seconds. "In short, she's fine."

"Thank you," Ian said. "Let's go." He scooped up the key she had thrown, wiped the water from it, and led them away.

As they headed toward the door, they heard the sounds of the woman coughing again, and then finally retching onto the tiled floor.

The Galactic woman had been right—the dead bodies of the last-resort squad lay sprawled about the hallway, and the double doors she had indicated loomed strong and tall above them. Ian pressed the talk button on his headset as he desperately wiped the card in his hand dry. "Alyssa?" he asked, examining the card. "We're about to get into the room."

"A few of the other squads reached their rooms," Alyssa told him. "Including Volkner's." Her voice sounded strange as she spoke the gym leader's name. "They were all false leads; I've already told Volkner to head for you."

"Good."

"Open it, already," Belle said crossly.

Ian inserted the card key into the slot on the door. A few agonizing seconds ticked by; and then, a little square light blinked green at them, and the door began to slide open very slowly.

They all breathed a sigh of relief as they peered through the crack and glimpsed shelves of Poké Balls. They waited a few more moments; when the door had opened all the way, they crossed the threshold and arrived in the Pokémon storage room.

"We got it, Alyssa," Ian said with a grin.

"_Yes_!"

* * *

_So I'm definitely not going to be able to update next week; it's Christmas break time, and I will NOT be able to get near the Internet long enough to update. I'm sorry. :(_

_So, thank you to my totally awesome reviewers!:_

**_The Finesseful X _**_(XD I'm glad you're liking it! I love Volkner, but I didn't start loving him until I started writing him.)_

**_Winged Smasher _**_(Well, thanks! XD)_

**_xxQuietShadowsxx _**_(Yaaay I'm glad you like Cassandra!)_

_Well, I'm excited to put up Chapter 65, but it's gonna have to wait. :/ I'm sorry._


	66. Chapter 65

After a quick search of the storage room, they found four tall shelves filled with Poké Balls. There was a large space, probably used for feeding, watering, and exercising the Pokémon, and there was a smaller room with two completely empty shelves and the warp tile. There was also a small locked door made of wood.

Belle and Derrick set to work putting Poké Balls into the mini transportation devices while Ian and Daniel devised the best way to break down the wooden door. Daniel was certain that, if Number 472 hadn't already escaped via the glowing warp tile in the smaller room, she would be behind that door.

"Hurry, you guys," Belle called. "We need to move fast, and we could use some help before Volkner and the others get here."

Ian tried the door again.

"It won't have magically unlocked while we're standing here," Daniel told him dryly.

"The criticism isn't helping," Ian replied. "Don't forget—you may be older, but I'm the one in charge here."

Daniel raised his eyebrows. "Well excuse me, princess."

Ian grinned in spite of himself at Daniel's unruffled response. The man had a good head for crisis, and he had to respect that. Without warning, he aimed a kick just below the door hinge; the door seemed to have been put in rather haphazardly, and the hinge tore from the plaster of the wall. Ian nonchalantly pulled the door from the frame the rest of the way.

"You have no idea how big that room is!" Daniel cried. "You could have hit her with the door!"

"I didn't, though, did I?" He tossed the door beside him and peered into the room. "Holy crap; it's like a closet."

The room was relatively small, indeed, and very dark. The light from the storage room illuminated it; it was square, with a white-tiled floor and ceiling. A plain circular rug sat in the center of the floor. Against the wall was a very plain bed, and on top of the bed was a shivering little girl in a Galactic uniform clutching a Poké Ball, which she held protectively out in front of her as they came in.

Daniel felt along the wall for the light switch; when he turned it on, a bare bulb washed the place in bright white, and the girl squinted and threw up a thin arm to guard her face.

"Number 472?" Daniel asked softly.

The girl squinted at him. She had a small, pale face, and her blue chin-length hair seemed a tad unkempt.

"It's me—Daniel." He took a step forward, but she shrank back and threw a frightened glance in Ian's direction.

"I'll leave you to it," Ian said. "She'll just be nervous with me around—I'll go help Belle and Derrick."

"It's nice to see you," Daniel said as Ian left him. He smiled. "What is this? Your bedroom?"

She nodded mutely, her eyes wide and fearful.

"What are you doing in here?"

"I heard the noises," she whispered. Her voice was soft and low; her eyes darted around the room, and she seemed to draw into herself. "I heard people screaming outside. So I grabbed a Ball and came in here."

"Well, I'm going to rescue you, okay?"

Her gaze snapped to his and she curled away from him, pulling her arms toward her chest. "I-is it safe for me to come out?"

"Yes."

The girl seemed hesitant, but she knew Daniel, and she trusted him.

"Come on, now."

"How did you get out of the dungeon?" Number 472 asked, carefully climbing off the bed and walking across the room to Daniel.

"My daughter came and rescued me."

She cocked her head. "I knew someone would come for you."

He smiled. "Yeah, you did."

"Hurry up, Dad!" Belle called from outside. "Four pairs of hands are better than three."

Number 472 froze, casting a fearful glance at the door. She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself and chewing nervously on her thumbnail.

"It's okay," Daniel told her soothingly, getting on his knees. "That's my daughter. There are a few other people out there, but they're friends, okay?"

She eyed him warily. "Friends?"

"Friends," he replied firmly.

After a long moment of staring at him with wide eyes, she nodded; Daniel got to his feet and led her out of her little bedroom.

Belle, Derrick, and now Ian were pressing Poké Balls into their transporter devices as fast as they could. They had managed to clear out half of the first shelf.

"Are you stealing the Pokémon?" Number 472 demanded; Derrick glanced up at her.

"No, we're rescuing them," Daniel replied. "We're going to try and get them back to their rightful owners."

She narrowed her eyes as she watched their progress. "Rightful owners?"

"These Pokémon had trainers who love them and miss them," he told her. "Remember how happy I was to see Venusaur when you brought him to me? All those people are going to be that happy to get their own Pokémon back."

After a few moments of standing silently, she turned and marched back off to her little bedroom; Derrick stared after her. His eyes locked onto her and didn't leave when she returned, holding a small brown backpack. "I'll help," she said in a small, determined voice. She moved to a shelf and began slowly placing Poké Balls inside the bag, murmuring under her breath the whole time.

"Derrick, _focus_," Belle snapped.

He didn't seem to hear. He was watching Number 472 with an expression between confusion and shock; she seemed entirely focused on her task. She would take a Ball from the shelf, turn it over in her hands as she studied it intently, smooth her fingers over the top, and then place it in the bag at her feet, muttering to herself nonstop. After gently shifting the contents of her bag for a few seconds, she would straighten and reach for another Ball, carefully running her fingers over the tops of a row before selecting one. Her pattern seemed to be random, but she was concentrating as hard as she could.

"Koko?" Derrick asked quietly.

Belle froze and followed his gaze to Number 472; the girl stopped her work and turned slowly to face him, frowning.

Derrick shook his head. "Koko—is that—are you—"

She very slowly placed the Ball she held in her bag. "Koko," she repeated, more to herself than to him.

Derrick got to his feet; Number 472 quickly took a step back, and Derrick froze where he was. "Is that your name?" he asked. "Koko?"

Her serious frown seemed uncharacteristic for one so young; she looked cute, like a little girl playing dress-up, pretending to be a Galactic. "I'm not allowed to have a name."

"What's going on?" Ian asked in a whisper; Belle waved a hand for silence.

Derrick took a shaky breath. "You had one before, didn't you? Before you became a—a Galactic?" His throat seemed to close over the last word.

Number 472 nodded slowly. Her eyes were fixed on Derrick's face, but she looked uncertain and shy, as though some sort of authority had been taken away from her.

"Was it Koko?" he asked quietly.

She didn't speak for several moments. All eyes were on her, but only Derrick and Belle fully understood the significance of her answer. She didn't seem to like the attention; she wriggled under their gazes, finally throwing a glance away from Derrick to the others. She looked down at her bag and shuffled her feet. "It _was_," she said, adding a quiet emphasis on the last word.

Belle felt her stomach flop and she gazed up at Derrick, wondering how he must feel. A long silence stretched into the room; she threw a glance over her shoulder at Ian and Daniel, who looked thoroughly confused. They didn't know about Derrick's family. They had no way of knowing that this girl, this tiny Galactic in charge of the Pokémon storage room, was Derrick's long-lost sister, presumed dead.

Derrick made a gurgling noise in his throat, obviously struggling for words. Number 472 looked at him again, still frowning, still uncertain, but this time her eyes roamed his face with an insistence that hadn't been there before. Derrick's mouth opened slowly; he had a question, but he couldn't seem to find the part of his brain that allowed him to speak.

"Derrick," Number 472 said quietly.

"Wh-what?" he stammered in reply.

"Derrick," she said again, a little louder. "You…you're Derrick. But I said Deh-wick then."

A smile split his face. "You—you remember!" he gasped, taking a step forward.

472 shrank back against the shelf. "Not much," she said, a hint of fear in her voice. "N-not much. The things I do remember—water—blue—but…" She shook her head. "I don't like it. I don't like remembering."

"It's okay," Derrick told her hurriedly. "That's fine."

"All right," Daniel said loudly; startled, Derrick glanced over his shoulder at him, and Number 472 jumped nervously. "In the interest of getting this moving along so we can get out, will someone _please_ tell me what the hell is going on here?"

"This is my sister, Koko," Derrick replied quickly. "When she was three, she fell into the ocean, and we thought she drowned—Dad was poisoned by a Tentacruel trying to save her."

472's expression opened into one of shock. "Tentacruel?" she asked softly.

"But this is her, she's here, she's _not_ dead—she remembers me!"

"Geez, what is it with Sinnoh?" Belle asked. "Anybody else got a long-lost relative they need to find? Ian?"

Derrick turned back to his sister. "We can take you home to see Mom!"

Number 472 shook her head. "I'm a Galactic. I'm not supposed to leave them."

"They're evil," he told her. "They're bad, they're—"

But she was shaking her head furiously. "They feed me, take care of me. I take care of the Pokémon; that's my job." Her head slowed to a small movement, and she began to pull her arms toward her chest. "That's Number 472's job. That's _my_ job." She was mumbling, retreating into her own world. "Number 472, Pokémon storage duty. Number 472, Pokémon storage duty. Number 472, Pokémon storage duty."

"No," Daniel said firmly, and she glanced up, surprised, stopping her mantra. Obviously, no one had ever interrupted her in the middle of it before. "You're Koko. You're Derrick's sister. And you're coming with us."

"My," said a smooth voice from behind them. They all turned hurriedly to face the door, which framed a tall, broad-shouldered man with slicked-back blonde hair. He wore an impeccable white suit with a charcoal grey shirt and a grey-and-white pinstripe tie; he seemed to be quite comfortable despite the fact that dead bodies lay sprawled in the hallway behind him and a squad of possibly dangerous hostiles stood before him. A cold smile formed on his lips. "Isn't this a touching moment?"

"Sir," Number 472 said stiffly; they all glanced at her. She was staring at the man with a look of dark mistrust.

"_You_," Ian said in a low growl.

The blonde man's smile broadened just a bit. "Number 472, right? Aren't you going to salute your superior?" He laughed when the little girl gave him a reluctant salute. "And you, Ranger—I'm glad to see you remember me."

"You know this guy?" Daniel asked, his eyes flicking over the blonde man.

"He was at the factory," Ian replied.

"What factory?"

"Long story," Belle interjected.

"_At_ the factory? That's just a little insulting, but I suppose I can forgive you—you didn't know." The blonde man sighed as though he were a teacher thoroughly disappointed in his pupil. "I _ran_ the factory."

"As I recall, the factory's nothing but a pile of rubble now," Ian spat.

The man's face darkened. "And I am severely irritated about that turn of events."

"We don't have time for this," Belle reminded everyone in the general vicinity.

"You're right," Ian replied.

The blonde man chuckled. "Oh dear. My apologies—I seem to have given you the illusion that _you_ are in control of this little situation." His smile touched his face again. "My apologies, indeed."

"Prinny," Ian muttered; the Prinplup immediately opened its beak and unleashed a barrage of water, which shot toward the blonde man—

And smacked straight into some sort of purple barrier, dissipating the attack completely.

"I suppose your friends didn't inform you of Kloptic?" He smiled coldly as he put his hands in his pockets; a Dusclops drifted eerily into the room. It had one red, glowing eye, which appeared to be staring straight ahead of it. "I didn't know the Ranger Corps was lacking that much in the intelligence department."

Belle gritted her teeth and began glancing around the room. That Dusclops would need to be taken out before they could get out of here—and with its presence, that man had effectively taken control. Ghost Pokémon didn't seem to operate on normal rules. She needed to get herself one.

"Who the hell _are_ you?" Daniel demanded.

The blonde man looked at him. "You have the look of a prisoner just recently released. In all the confusion, perhaps? No—your face is not that gaunt, and your clothes seem new." His eyes flashed. "Perhaps, then, you are the prisoner that escaped not too long ago."

"You knew about that?" Belle asked, dumbfounded.

"Young girl, I know _everything_."

"Answer the question," Daniel snapped.

The man blinked slowly and glanced over at him. "Outspoken for a prisoner. I can see why you were captured." He cocked his head to the side and gazed up at the ceiling. "I am on the Rocket Board of Executives, if you must know, soon to be CEO. Team Rocket's alliance with Team Galactic would have pushed me into the position, given just a little more time—it was, after all, my suggestion that we begin to branch into Sinnoh, and with Cyrus gone, the Galactics most certainly needed a new leader. This Saturn fellow—he has no head for business."

Belle began to slowly move her hand toward Charmy's Poké Ball. Maybe she could just—

"Oh—no, we won't be doing that. Kloptic?"

There was a sharp pain in her arm, and she cried out and sank to her knees.

The blonde man sighed. "Now, can you _please_ pay attention? I am trying to educate you." He glanced at the floor and began to walk back and forth very slowly, as if he were giving some sort of presentation. "Of course, as CEO of Team Rocket, it would have been very simple to take over Team Galactic completely. In fact, we were already in the process of it before _this_ fiasco." He indicated the bodies sprawled outside the room. "With strong roots here, Team Rocket would have emerged as a thriving business—not _named_ such, of course. We would appear completely legitimate. No one would have guessed that we were behind it. As CEO, I would have the makings of an empire at my fingertips—businesses in Kanto, Johto, _and_ Sinnoh."

He stopped and ran a hand over his chin, placing the other on his hip. "But, ah—here's a problem. This—all the confusion, the destruction—is a PR _nightmare_." He turned to them, his cold smile stretched across his face once again. "Especially since you have killed most of the people involved in PR. Most of Team Galactic is dead, wounded, or captured—Saturn is probably being killed as we speak. What is left of the Board of Executives is unsalvageable. In fact, this entire _project_ is unsalvageable. The Ranger Corps has, amazingly, destroyed my entire life's work over the course of a _single evening_." His eyes locked onto Belle's. "And I know who is to thank for this."

Belle felt a chill scamper down her spine.

"Kloptic. Go."

And when the shelf slowly tipped and the first Poké Ball fell to the floor, springing open to release a Dunsparce, Belle knew that somehow this man had figured out that she was responsible for the destruction of his empire.

* * *

_I'm back! I know it was a long wait, you guys, and for that I apologize. Any time I don't have school, I'm separated from the Internet; add to that the fact that my laptop's power cord decided to give out, so I could only use it in the presence of a friend of mine. Awesome._

_Anyway, I'm back now, and it's time to thank my awesome reviewers!:_

_**The Finesseful X **(When things get real, you can't help but get mean!)_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Aww, piece of cake? I dunno about that XD)_

_**Aldraia Dragonsong **(Wow, I haven't seen you in so long! I'm glad to know that you haven't given up on me! And I didn't even see that I had left off the "alyssa" from "thompson_alyssa". -_-' And oh dear, the "not totally useless" thing wasn't supposed to sound that harsh at all...I didn't even realize that it might come across that way! Thanks for pointing those things out!)_

_Hopefully the next chapter will be up next week; thanks for reading, you guys!_


	67. Chapter 66

Poké Balls cascaded off the shelves as Kloptic tipped them over with his ghostly energy; they sprang open and Pokémon leapt into being, creating a confusion so complete that all of Belle's senses were bombarded.

Belle grabbed Number 472, scooping her up by the waist. "My bag!" the girl cried pitifully; Belle grabbed it and handed it to her.

"Derrick!" Belle shouted over the din of hundreds of confused Pokémon.

"YOU WILL DIE FOR THIS!" the blonde man's voice screamed; a bit of wall exploded in a shower of plaster, and Belle quickly ducked, covering 472's body with her own.

"Koko," she said in the girl's ear. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," was the whispered reply.

"Can you get the Pokémon back into their Poké Balls?"

Koko shifted so that she could see Belle; her tiny face was merely inches away.

"Koko. Can you?"

Her eyes roamed, her lips quivered, her hands clutched at Belle's sleeves. She was obviously terrified.

"Koko. These Pokémon will die if we don't help them. Koko!" She shook her once; the girl's gaze snapped back to Belle's. "Koko, do you understand?"

Her lips set into a thin line of determination; she nodded once.

"_Can you do it_?"

"It—it might take a while—"

"We'll buy you some time. _Go_."

Koko wriggled out of Belle's grasp and flowed between the confused bodies of Pokémon like a raindrop disappearing through a crack. The last Belle saw of her was the little bag whipping against the girl's back; and then she had to quickly turn her attention to the vast amount of Pokémon pressing in on her.

In order to keep from drowning in the bodies, Belle grabbed onto the nearest Pokémon and hauled herself up to stand on its shoulders. She thought it might have roared in protest, but the specific sound was lost amid the chaos; she stood above the crowd, glancing around for anyone human, fervently trying to come up with a plan. Everything she thought of seemed incredibly stupid. She couldn't climb off her perch, because she would be trampled; she couldn't send out any of her Pokémon, because that would just add to the commotion and make everything worse; she couldn't climb on the shelves, because they were obviously unstable. The only thing she could do was walk across the shoulders of the Pokémon.

"Dammit," she grumbled. The Pokémon beneath her shifted, and she grabbed the shelf behind her to steady herself. The room was a great mass of writhing bodies and glaring colors. She timidly put her foot out to place it on the next Pokémon.

A flash of light caught her eye, and she hurriedly turned to address it; in the corner of the room, red light was quickly engulfing Pokémon, pulling them back into their Poké Balls. A space cleared rather quickly, allowing Belle to see Koko and Daniel working furiously to return Pokémon to Balls, then shove the Balls into the transporter. In another corner of the room, Derrick and Ian were doing the same.

There was no sign of the blonde man.

Belle felt a sense of satisfaction. Koko had orchestrated all this extremely quickly. She worked with a single-minded ferocity; Belle could respect that.

The blonde man roared from the other end of the room, tearing Belle out of her reverie; he was _floating_ above the crowd, surrounded by some sort of dark purple aura, his Dusclops floating beside him.

"I have _got_ to get me a Ghost Pokémon," she muttered to herself, quickly formulating a reckless plan. She let go of the shelf behind her and, with renewed vigor, dashed across the shoulders of the Pokémon toward the blonde man.

He saw her coming, of course; it was a stupid plan, one born of desperation, and it couldn't possibly work. She thought, maybe, she could tackle him, and if his Dusclops killed her on her way toward him, at least she would have distracted him.

Belle saw the sneer form on his lips as she rushed over the constantly moving shoulders of the Pokémon. She thought she heard her father calling out her name, but she couldn't listen to him right now; he would tell her to stop what she was doing, and she couldn't. The blonde man drew in a deep breath. He was taking his time; he was going to wait until she got close to him to make the kill more satisfying, to make his victory over her more pronounced. She could understand that concept.

"THUNDER WAVE!" called a booming voice.

The swaying Pokémon beneath her feet froze, nearly pitching Belle headfirst into the sea of now-still Pokémon; she snatched at a Blaziken's fur to keep herself from falling. Panting, she blinked confusedly. _She_ could still move. How was that?

"Sorry," she mumbled to the Blaziken as she stood back on the shoulders of her previous perch, who happened to be a Machoke. Koko, Daniel, Derrick, and Ian were still moving, returning Pokémon left and right. Only now a few more people were helping—Cassandra and Alexandré had appeared. She glanced toward the blonde man; he and his Dusclops were frozen in midair.

"Volkner!" Belle cried happily as she spotted him and his Luxray. "Did you do this? How did you—?"

"Just get down here and help!" Daniel snapped. "What the hell were you thinking? You almost got killed!"

"Sorry!" she replied, hurrying across the tops of paralyzed Pokémon to the rapidly-growing empty space near Koko. The small girl triumphantly handed Belle an armful of Poké Balls and pointed her toward the center of the room.

"These are all for the Pokémon in _that_ area," she said quietly, and gave Belle a small push.

Belle glanced down at the Balls in her arms. They all seemed identical. How the little girl had managed to gather all the Balls, identify which Pokémon belonged in them, and then separate them into groups coinciding to where those Pokémon were in the room in a few quick seconds Belle didn't know; she just headed for the center of the room with Volkner and began her task.

With all of them working—and all but the Ground Pokémon paralyzed—it only took a few seconds for them to nearly clear out the room. They heard shouts from upstairs, sounds that they hadn't previously been able to discern; and just as they turned to the last corner, the one over which the blonde man hovered, there was a large _crack_!

The ceiling buckled in the center, showering the room in plaster. Belle coughed horrendously as the grating noise of desks and chairs hurtling across the floor above them filled the air. She heard Derrick shout for Koko just as the girl brushed by her, holding out Poké Balls and returning the Pokémon in the last corner as quickly as she could.

"Get out!" Daniel yelled. "Head for the warp tile!"

"What about blondie over here?" Belle shouted as the ceiling cracked further.

"Leave him!" Volkner bellowed in answer. Debris rained down around them.

Belle ran toward Koko and scooped her up; the little girl was crying, tears making wet slicks down her grimy face as she desperately tried to return the remaining Pokémon to their Poké Balls. "We have to go!" Belle shouted over the sound of the ceiling buckling helplessly above them.

"I can't let them die!" Koko shrieked. "I'm the _caretaker_!"

Belle squinted; there were only a few Pokémon left. She snatched some of the Balls from Koko's grasp and began to help, running backwards with Koko in her grasp. A desk fell through the center crack, opening it up so that other large objects fell through; a huge chunk of ceiling plummeted down.

"Dammit Belle!" cried Daniel's voice; he seized her roughly by the back of her shirt, lifting her off her feet. Koko cried out as she was whipped around the corner toward the warp tile. She held the Ball in her hand above her head with a triumphant shout.

"I got the last one!"

"I knew you could do it!" Belle shouted in reply over the sound of the ceiling totally buckling, but her voice was swallowed up as the tile whisked them away.

* * *

_Hi everybody! I totally meant to update this two days ago, but that didn't happen. Oops. -_- On the bright side, here it is now! And thank you so much to my awesome reviewers!:_

**_WingedSmasher _**_(It was a bit suspenseful, wasn't it? XD)_

**_BulbaBabex _**_(Thank you so much! It's always nice to see a new reviewer!)_

_The next chapter will be up soon!_


	68. Chapter 67

Belle collapsed backwards, coughing heavily and wiping plaster from her eyes. Koko rolled off her, and Poké Balls scattered around them.

"We're in the front lobby," Cassandra breathed. She leaned down and helped Belle to her feet, dusting her off. "You are so _stupid_!"

"Well, we were the recovery squad," Belle said, allowing her friend to beat the debris off her. "I needed to recover the Pokémon." She winced as Daniel appeared beside Cassandra and began to help her; he was much more heavy-handed. "You okay, kiddo?" she added, glancing down at Koko.

The girl had quickly gathered up the scattered Balls and was placing them in the transporter that Derrick had set at her feet. The only reply she gave was a grin.

Ian walked across the room toward them. "Raid's over, you guys," he called happily. "Volkner's already outside. All the Top Rangers are out front."

Belle eagerly started forward. "So we're done?"

"Mr. McFayer says that Saturn's dead," Ian replied enthusiastically as they all headed out the front door. "The Champion killed him."

"How?"

"I don't know. I don't particularly care."

"What about Celebi?" Cassandra asked.

"Recovered and released," Ian told her.

The sun was just beginning to rise; Belle squinted in the gray dawn as she headed down the front steps of the Galactic headquarters. Several vehicles dotted the road before it, ambulances being the most prevalent, the lights of local cop cars flashing blue and red. Rangers seemed to be appearing from everywhere, mostly clasping handcuffed Rocket and Galactic members. In the back of one ambulance, soaking wet and draped in a towel, was the Galactic woman Ian had tortured for information; seeing Belle, she nodded grimly and turned away.

Alyssa materialized out of the crowd. She crutched hurriedly over to the group with a smile so big Belle was briefly worried her teeth would take over her whole face. "You guys are safe!" she cried.

"We are," Cassandra replied.

"I was so worried! It's nerve-racking being on the waiting end—huh, Ziggy?"

The Pokémon chirruped in agreement from its place on her shoulder.

Belle and Cassandra both stepped toward Alyssa and pulled her into a hug; she laughed happily. "You guys had me _so_ worried. And you too!" she added in a mockingly accusatory tone, looking at Alexandré. He moved toward her and hugged her too.

"All right then," barked a gruff voice. Everyone turned; Mr. McFayer stood there, his Yanmega buzzing vigilantly at his elbow. "All non-Ranger personnel need to get checked by first aid, and then go home if you're fine. I let you in the raid, but you'll just get in the way of proceedings now." He nodded curtly before walking briskly away.

Alyssa laughed. "He basically just told you guys that you did a fantastic job."

Daniel squinted after him for a moment before turning his attention back to Alyssa. "I was promised a medal," he grunted. "I'd better get one."

Alyssa grinned broadly. "Oh, I'm sure you will."

"Come on, guys," Ian said, turning to the group. "Head over to that group of ambulances—they're for staff—and get checked out. Alyssa and I will meet you back at the apartment."

"You're not coming home with us?" Belle asked, dumbstruck.

"They're _Ranger_ personnel," Cassandra reminded her.

"Oh. Right. See you back at the apartment, then."

* * *

Cassandra sat still as the EMT examined her, even though her heart was pumping as though she was still in the room with the collapsing ceiling. She felt her hands shaking slightly.

"Oh—I'm sorry," said a soft voice, and Cassandra turned her head toward it. Alexandré had appeared and, upon seeing that Cassandra was still being examined, turned to walk away.

"No, it's all right," Cassandra said. "Come back. I don't have any serious injuries—right?" she added.

The EMT smiled. "Just a few scrapes and scratches. We can fix those with band-aids."

"So how are you?" Cassandra inquired of Alexandré as the EMT applied said band-aids to Cassandra's scrapes and scratches.

Alexandré shuffled a bit closer. "I tore my sleeve," he said, holding up his tux jacket. "And my shirt sleeve as well. They—_pulled it off_." He showed her a bandaged wound on his bare upper arm.

"At least _you're_ okay."

"I suppose."

"All done!" the EMT said happily, stripping off her latex gloves. She glanced over her shoulder as someone called toward her. "Ah, excuse me."

"Sarah," the voice said, and as the caller stepped closer, Cassandra saw that it was a Ranger woman with dark hair pinned back in a bun. The woman smiled and nodded at Cassandra. "Ms. Étoile," she said as the EMT headed toward her. "Good to see you again."

Cassandra frowned. It wasn't until she saw the Sneasel bobbing about the woman's knees that she recognized her. "Melba?" she said incredulously. "Melba Wisely?"

Melba rolled her eyes as the EMT burst out laughing. "Yeah, that's the name they gave me. I was undercover, investigating some reports of cheating and stuff in the Hoenn contests."

"You're a Top Ranger?"

"Yep. Top Ranger Andrea Sanderson. Nice to finally meet you honestly. Glad you took my advice and came to Sinnoh—seems like you did more than contests, though."

"Y-yeah," Cassandra said, dumbfounded.

"Look, I gotta go. But it was really nice seeing you again."

"You too," she called after Andrea Sanderson's retreating back as she led away Sarah the still-laughing EMT.

"Hm," Alexandré said thoughtfully. "Sinnoh seems the place to meet long-lost friends."

"Sure does," Cassandra replied.

They both lapsed into silence, allowing the noises of the people around them to fill the air instead of their words. Cassandra swung her feet a little. Finally, Alexandré cleared his throat; when she glanced at him, he seemed embarrassed.

"I am aware that this is possibly…not the most opportune time to have a conversation," he began.

Cassandra raised her eyebrows. "Oh?"

"And you and I have only known each other for a short while. And, also, while I was not aware of this when we met, you are one of my precious baby sister's closest friends."

She frowned. "Yes."

He nodded. He wasn't looking at her. "I know that it would be most—unbecoming—for me—for a gentleman—to ask a girl—a lady—a young woman, such as yourself—" He trailed off and shifted uncomfortably. "It has only been a short time, after all, and so it would be—it would seem—that is, I _fear_ that it would seem—well—rather…rude…to ask a lady to…" He took in a deep breath. "We haven't spent much time together, so it would be inappropriate to ask for you to be my…well…to ask you to…go steady with me."

Cassandra felt a blush creep up her face, and she immediately looked down at her hands in her lap.

"It's only been a short time, after all."

Her face grew hotter.

"And you are my sister's friend."

Could skin spontaneously combust? She feared her own would at any moment.

"But, I wonder if…perhaps…you would like to spend…more time with me. Perhaps…in a romantic fashion."

She finally glanced at him, her face still burning furiously, and he smiled sheepishly and looked away.

"Perhaps…dinner, sometime? Not—not tonight, of course," he added hurriedly. "I know that much has happened, and you'll need rest, and—but—tomorrow, perhaps? Or sometime this week?"

She felt a timid smile cross her lips. "I'd like that," she said quietly.

His smile widened. "Oh! Good. Um…good."

Silence fell between them once more. Cassandra swung her feet again, clutching her hands in her lap. Again, Alexandré broke the silence by clearing his throat.

"Well…you…have much to think about, m'lady, and it might be proper for me to leave—"

Cassandra reached out and grasped his hand as he turned to go. He froze in his tracks, looking at her. "I'd like your company," she told him, feeling her face grow hot again.

He seemed flustered but pleased; she tugged a little, and he sat beside her on the back of the ambulance. After a moment, she glanced up at his face, and he glanced down at hers. They both froze, staring at each other, slowly coloring red as they blinked nervously.

Cassandra didn't even know quite how it happened; one moment, she was red with embarrassment and staring at Alexandré's face, and the next, they had both leaned forward until their lips met.

It was a simple kiss, timid and a little shaky, with just a hint of fear. But Alexandré's lips were surprisingly soft, and Cassandra liked them enormously. They both pulled away after a few seconds, both incredibly surprised at what had just happened. Cassandra leaned in and kissed him again. Her lips tingled from the feeling.

They smiled sheepishly at each other for a moment and then, in unison, quickly looked away. Alexandré took hold of her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers.

They both swung their feet.

* * *

Belle stood a ways back from the ambulance where they had Koko, holding the girl's bag in one hand. Daniel had banished her from his own station, saying that he wanted to be examined without her "peering worriedly" at him. Instead, she peered worriedly at Derrick, who was refusing to be examined himself and insisting that the EMTs focus on Koko.

"I'm fine," she heard him angrily tell an EMT.

"Sir, _go to another station_," the EMT snapped. "Go!" he added sharply when Derrick opened his mouth to protest.

Derrick angrily marched toward Belle. "Can you believe that?" he asked her. She smiled.

"You do need to get checked out before we head home."

"That's my sister," Derrick mumbled.

"I know. Look, she's fine." Belle waved at Koko, who waved back. "They're probably more worried about her mental state. Y'know, with the Galactics and all."

Derrick nodded mutely.

Belle gently took his sleeve and guided him out of sight of the ambulance. "Stop worrying," she said, somewhat hypocritically.

Derrick nodded and looked at his feet. "They're going to let me take her home," he said quietly. "To Cinnabar Island."

Belle felt a lump rise in her throat. They had only just reunited; were they to be split up so soon, without her telling him how she felt? "Is that where you'll be going? Y'know…after?"

"Well…I kind of have to. She told me something…weird."

"What?"

"That Tentacruel—the one that poisoned my dad…it saved her."

Belle's eyes widened. "_What_?"

"Yeah. She doesn't remember how, but she remembers that it protected her. My dad jumping in scared the Tentacruel as much as the Tentacruel scared Dad, so it poisoned him and ran…before it realized that it had Koko. I guess." Derrick shrugged. "It's all speculation, at this point. But she said it fought any Pokémon that tried to hurt her, and it drifted with her until it found land. Seafoam Islands, she said. The Galactics were there, and they took her in." He shook his head. "She wants to find the Tentacruel again and thank it for saving her life."

"Wow," Belle said. She cocked her head. "Are you okay?"

"What? Yeah, of course. I just…" He sighed. "I never thought I'd see her again. I thought…well…that she was _dead_. But to know that she's been alive and with—with Team Galactic, of all things! It's…I dunno, it's…kind of intense. I'm not sure how to handle it."

She nodded. "So…how soon are you leaving for Kanto?"

"As soon as I can. I need to get Koko back to Mom, y'know? Maybe it'll help her. Maybe it'll help them both." He rolled his shoulders. "And you're going back to Kanto too, aren't you? With Daniel?"

"Yeah." Belle nodded again, feeling stupid.

He glanced at her, and she glanced at him. If he was going to leave soon, he needed to know how she felt. And now was the time to do it. "Look, Derrick," she said.

"Yeah?"

"I…that night that I left…y'know, in Lavender Town."

"Yeah?"

"I…that was stupid," she told him.

He laughed. "Yeah."

"I…the tower scared me, y'know? With all the death and stuff. There was a funeral there, when I went. It was for a Pichu. A baby one."

Derrick winced. "Oh. I'm so sorry."

"And I was scared. Not just of death, but…of…you. Not that you'd attack me—that's not how I mean. I guess I was scared of my…feelings…for you, but—"

"Dammit, Belle, are you gonna kiss me or not?"

Startled, she looked up into his eyes. He was grinning at her. She grinned in reply, dropped Koko's bag, and grabbed Derrick's tattered shirt collar, pulling him toward her.

Derrick's arms went around her as their lips met. She closed her eyes and leaned into him. They were clumsy—neither knew quite what to do with their mouths—but they enjoyed their kissing nonetheless. They periodically broke apart to laugh at themselves. When their little frenzy was over, they leaned back, still touching, and locked gazes.

"We'll get together again in Kanto," Derrick told her.

She nodded. "We will."

"When we get our family business done with—do you wanna travel together again?"

"To Johto, you mean?"

"To wherever! There are so many more gyms to defeat."

Belle laughed. "That sounds fantastic."

They slid apart, and Derrick smiled happily. "Well…we should probably round everybody up and head back to the apartment."

She nodded again. "Yeah. But…kiss me again first."

He leaned down did as she asked, kissing her twice. "I'll go get Koko."

"I'll get everybody else," she said. She reached out and squeezed his hand once. He smiled and returned the pressure before stepping away and disappearing around the corner.

Head full of some fuzzy feeling she could only assume was hormones, Belle turned and began to walk vaguely toward the ambulance in which she had last seen Daniel. There was a large bustle around it; she frowned and quickened her step. Having an inordinate amount of people around an ambulance could _not_ be good. The strap of Koko's tiny bag seemed to press into her hand, and she gripped it tightly, fingernails cutting into her palm with worry.

As she neared the ambulance, Belle craned her neck so much that she felt that it would snap, but she couldn't see Daniel. Instead, there was a black-clad woman standing in the midst of the crowd, her blonde hair improbably long. "I'm fine," she was insisting in a smooth voice, batting away the several worried EMTs. "Just fine," she added as a Ranger voiced some concern. She adjusted the bandage around her forehead. "Fine!" she barked suddenly; the crowd around her grew silent. "Thank you for your care," she continued in a lower tone. "I will be on my way now."

The small throng shuffled to allow the woman to pass; as luck would have it, her path took her right by Belle, who said in a small voice, "Cynthia?"

The Champion stopped and smiled, placing a hand on her slender hip. "Well," she said softly, eyeing Belle appraisingly. "Belle Caldwell, am I correct?"

"You know my name?"

Cynthia nodded. "I like to know what's going on in my region." She spoke almost the way a queen would, placing special emphasis on the word _my_, a hint of affection in her voice. She cocked her head. "And you certainly caused a stir."

Belle glanced over her shoulder at the commotion behind her. "A stir," she repeated.

Cynthia chuckled slightly. "Perhaps that was an understatement. You and your colleagues started the movement that would bring down Team Galactic _and_ Team Rocket, did you not?" Her smile was benevolent and calm. "You seem to be a powerful trainer, and intelligent as well. You're the sort of person I like to keep my eye on."

Belle cracked a grin. "You'd better. Because one day, I'm gonna be champion of this region."

One of Cynthia's eyebrows arched high. "Oh?"

"Yeah. Once I defeat all the gyms in all the regions, I'll come back here. I'll challenge the Elite Four. And then I'll challenge you."

Cynthia smiled again. "What an interesting day that will prove to be."

"Belle!" called a voice behind her; she glanced over her shoulder again, this time seeing Daniel walking toward her.

"I can see you have things that need attending," Cynthia said softly as Belle turned back to her. "I await your challenge, Ms. Caldwell." With that, she turned away, reaching into her pocket for a Poké Ball, and seemed to disappear among the crowd.

Belle blinked.

"Belle!"

"Coming," she muttered, and turned back to join her father. What she had told Cynthia was true—she would, one day, be the champion of Sinnoh. Sinnoh had once held enormous sway over her; it had taken her father. One day, she would own it.

Daniel seemed as though he was about to say something, but he stopped and studied his daughter for a moment. "What's that face?" he asked her.

"What? What face?"

"You've got that face, the one I get."

Belle rolled her eyes. "I don't have any sort of face."

"Fine, I don't have time to argue. Look, they keep telling me I need to go home, but I'm not getting out of here without my Pokémon, and no one will listen to me! They won't tell me where the Pokémon have been _sent_, they won't tell me if I can get them—nothing! They just keep saying how I need to go home."

"If you want, I can find Alyssa and have her get them for you. She can bring them home for you when she's done."

"No," Daniel snapped. "I want my Pokémon _now_."

Belle nodded. She could understand his sentiment; she would have felt exactly the same way. "Well, we'll find Alyssa anyway, and she'll get you to wherever they're keeping them."

"Good."

"But first, we need to find everybody else."

"There's Derrick and 472—I mean, Koko." Daniel pointed through the crowd; Koko had a firm grasp on Derrick's hand, and she was glancing around warily at the people walking past, pushing nearer to her brother whenever anyone got too close. Derrick himself seemed almost giddy.

"We need to find Alyssa," Belle told them as they got nearer.

"What for?" Derrick asked. "She's gotta stay here."

"Well, we need to get Dad's Pokémon, and no one's telling Dad where they are."

Koko began tugging on Derrick's hand.

"So she would know?"

"Duh. And she'd be able to get him to the place where they're keeping all the Pokémon."

Koko tugged a little harder.

"Well, wherever Alyssa is, the Rangers probably aren't going to let us get close enough to find her," Derrick said reasonably. "They keep telling us to go home."

Koko continued to tug.

"I'm entitled to my Pokémon," Daniel snapped. "I'll beat the crap out of somebody—"

"No, then they'll put you in _real_ prison, and I'm not busting you out of there," Belle replied.

"What _is_ it, Koko?" Derrick asked finally. Koko pointed to the bag in Belle's hand. "Oh—you've still got Koko's bag, Belle."

"Oh," Belle said, mildly surprised. She had almost forgotten about it. "Here you go." She attempted to hand the bag to Koko, but the girl shook her head violently and pointed to Daniel. Belle sighed. "Speak up, kid. Use your words."

Koko bit her lip, and Derrick glanced down at her. She had been reluctant to talk ever since they emerged from the Galactic building. The EMTs hadn't gotten anything out of her; she communicated mostly in nods and shakes of her head. It was as though the Galactic building contained her voice.

"Give the bag to Daniel," Koko muttered.

Belle glanced at the bag in her hand and then back to Koko. "You sure?"

Koko nodded.

Belle shrugged and handed the bag to her father, who frowned at it before opening the top. "There are Poké Balls in here," he said.

Koko nodded again.

His frown deepened. "Six of them."

Belle suddenly remembered Koko meticulously picking Poké Balls off shelves and tucking them into her bag, carefully examining them before doing so. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at the little girl's downturned face.

"Your team," Koko said faintly.

Daniel's frown quickly turned to a look of astonishment. "This—this is everybody?" he whispered.

Koko nodded yet again.

"Venusaur, Tyranitar, Marowak—everybody?"

Koko smiled slightly.

"472—I mean, Koko—you're _amazing_."

Her smile broadened a bit, and she shuffled her feet. "I'm the caretaker," she said simply.

* * *

Alyssa reached behind her neck, massaging it to ease her tensed muscles. She stifled a yawn. The sun had fully risen, casting light on the prisoners still being led from the building. The squads whose purpose was prisoner recovery had found mostly bodies, but there were still quite a few living Galactics and Rockets, most of whom limped between their captors with resigned expressions. A few fought, but they were quickly put in their place.

"Hey," said a voice from behind her; Alyssa swiveled in her chair, feeling a bit guilty that someone had caught her taking a break. Ian smiled tiredly at her, and she smiled back.

"Hey, you," she replied.

Ian grabbed the chair next to her and lowered himself into it with a groan. "Mr. McFayer said he's gonna be sending us home soon."

"Are we almost done here?"

He barked out a laugh. "Oh hell no. He just thinks you need to get some rest, and he's dubbed me your 'caretaker'."

"I can take care of myself," Alyssa replied irritably.

"That may be, but I wanna get back to the apartment and go to _sleep_." Ian stretched. "I'm just using your leg as an excuse."

She smiled at him. "So what have you been doing?"

"Oh, this and that. Dealing with prisoners some, but mostly making stubborn Rangers get medically examined. You?"

"Paperwork," she grumbled. She gestured to the small table in front of her. "I'm almost done. Once I'm finished, I suppose we can leave."

"I'm surprised they didn't stick you with making people get examined. You could just whack them with your crutches."

Alyssa laughed. "They probably thought I'd fall asleep on a stretcher."

"I've been tempted," Ian admitted.

"Psh. I would have done it by now." She reached up and worked her fingers over a crick in her neck muscles. "Of course, I'd probably be somewhat deserving of it if I'd actually gone _into_ the raid. As it stands now, the worst injury I have is a stiff neck."

"Actually, your leg is broken."

"Shut up. You know what I mean." She continued to rub her neck, glancing around. "I hated being in that stupid warehouse, staring at a computer screen. I wanted to be inside. I wanted to be where the action was." She shrugged her shoulders a few times. "But…more than that…I was _worried_."

Ian frowned.

"It was terrible. You guys only contacted me a few times, and the rest of the time I had absolutely no idea what was happening to you. I just kept thinking, _what if something happens_?" Her voice broke, surprising her. She hadn't realized she had felt this strongly about it. "And what if something _had_ happened? What if one of you had gotten hurt, or—or _worse_? I wouldn't be able to handle losing Heath again." Tears welled up in her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. "And I wouldn't be able to handle losing you."

And at that thought—the thought that she could have lost Ian—her tears broke free and slid down her cheeks. She looked down at her hands, realizing that her vision had blurred.

She heard a noise beside her as Ian quickly pulled his chair closer to her. She felt his arms around her; he pulled her into him, and she leaned against his chest. The position was reminiscent of the time they had sat together at the Ranger School beneath the stars. It felt like a lifetime ago. She remembered the warmth she had felt, the words she had whispered—_I love you_—so softly that he couldn't hear. Her tears began anew. What if he had died? What if he had died inside that raid without knowing how she felt? Her hand clenched on the fabric of his uniform. That was a thought she couldn't bear.

"Everything's all right," Ian told her, gently stroking her hair. She closed her eyes at the touch. "Belle's okay, Cassandra's okay, Alexandré's okay. I'm okay." His hand lovingly brushed over the top of her head. "Everything's all right."

"No," she whispered. She sat up a little, not breaking from his touch, and wiped tears from her cheeks. "No, it's not."

"Alyssa, no one's hurt. Everyone's okay."

"That's not what I'm talking about." She cast around for the right words to say, but she couldn't decide on any. She glanced up into Ian's face. He looked so worried.

"What's the matter?" he asked, and he brought his hand up to the side of her face, cradling her cheek.

The contact triggered a flurry of activity inside her stomach and chest; she placed her own hand over his and closed her eyes. "Ian," she whispered.

The tone of her voice had changed. The atmosphere shifted. Ian drew a bit closer to her. "What is it?" he asked, also in a whisper.

She stared into his eyes. They were beautiful. _He_ was beautiful, in his own way. "Ian, I…I need to tell you something."

He looked worried again.

"The way…the way you make me feel, it's…I don't know how to describe it. I want to be around you all the time, I want to keep you safe, I want to…I don't _know_ what I want to do." She laughed a bit. "I hardly know what to do around you. And today, at the thought of…of losing you…" She bit her lip as the tears welled up again.

"Alyssa," he said softly, and she closed her eyes and took in a shuddering breath. He had never said her name like that before—his voice was full of longing.

"The thought of you…dying…without you knowing…how I felt…" She shook her head and closed her eyes, tightening her grip on his hand.

Suddenly, Ian was lifting her out of her chair and pulling her into his; they shared the seat, pressed closely against each other. His hand still cupped her face, and he stared down at her with such feeling she thought she would drown. His thumb smoothed over her cheek. His other arm was wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, and she immediately melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She heard him make a noise in the back of his throat, one that seemed to communicate a primal satisfaction at finally doing something he had longed to do. She answered by tightening her grip and snaking a hand into his hair.

How long had she wanted to do this? How many nights had this entered her dreams? How many times had her eyes glazed over while she daydreamed hopefully? And now, here it was. Ian was holding her, kissing her, his lips moving gently against hers, and it wasn't at all what she imagined.

It was infinitely better.

They finally broke apart, and Alyssa gazed into his eyes, feeling dazed. She realized faintly that she was panting—and so was he. She placed her hand on his face, hardly believing what she was doing. He leaned forward and kissed her again, softly this time, his lips brushing hers in a manner so sweet she wanted to cry. "Ian," she whispered, and he looked at her again.

"Alyssa, I…I've wanted to tell you this for a long, long time."

She said nothing.

"I love you. I've loved you for so long. I don't even know when it happened. I just know that I would do anything for you, and that I want to be with you all the time, and I want to be able to hold you, and kiss you, and touch you, and make you happy, and make you feel all the things I feel about you. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours, and I want to be able to tell everyone that you are _mine_, that you are _my girlfriend_. I want to tell everyone that I love you. I love you, Alyssa. _I love you_."

Overwhelmed, she kissed him, pushing herself against him, feeling his body against hers. When they broke apart again, she couldn't help but smile, whispering his name. She put her hands on his chest. "Ian, remember…remember that night we went to the Ranger School, and we sat by the ocean, and you…you held me, because I was cold?"

He smiled softly. "Not a day has passed that I haven't thought about that moment."

"I…I wanted to tell you then. I don't know what stopped me. It didn't seem like the right time, I guess, or…something. But I wanted to tell you then, Ian, that…that I love you." She smiled broadly. "It feels so good to say. I love you. I love you, Ian, and I want all the things that you just said you wanted—I want to be your girlfriend, and I want to be able to tell you I love you whenever I want. I want to be able to kiss you whenever I want."

Ian grinned at her. "I am so happy right now, I don't even know what to do."

"We could kiss some more," Alyssa suggested, and Ian laughed. He scooped her legs up and pulled her so that she was sitting across his lap, almost as if she were sitting sidesaddle on a Rapidash.

He cupped her face in his hands and just stared at her, smiling. "You are _so_ beautiful," he whispered.

She brushed some hair away from his brow. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you too."

* * *

_Well, we're almost done here, guys! Just a few more chapters!_

_Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far! I'll try to put up the next chapter next week._

_No one reviewed this chapter, so I can't thank anyone personally, but I understand that you guys are probably busy ^_^ Spring break is coming up, so exams and whatnot are probably prevalent. _

_But if you read and don't review, thanks for reading!_


	69. Chapter 68

Two days after the raid came a day so unseasonably warm that no one could stand to be in the apartment, despite the preparations they were making to go to their respective homes, so they all loaded into a Rapidash-drawn buggy and headed for the nearest park, of which Hearthome City had many. Koko sat sandwiched between Belle and Derrick the whole way, looking slightly uncomfortable in her new clothes. At the park, she chose not to stray too far from Belle, Derrick, or Daniel, eyeing the others warily.

Cassandra went about laying out a large blanket while everyone else released their Pokémon. Most of Daniel's team of powerhouse Pokémon was too large to be in the apartment, so he delighted in getting to see them all at once now. The only Pokémon he had out at all times was Marowak, a hyper little thing that had insisted on scurrying about Daniel's shoulders even before they had been separated for so long.

Derrick settled down next to Belle after instructing his own Pokémon to go play. He had been extremely busy with Koko—buying her new clothes and such—and as a result, hadn't met all of Daniel's team. Belle herself was stretched out beneath the shade of Venusaur's large flower, grinning happily. After all, it had been eight whole years since she had seen her father's Pokémon, and she had fond memories of playing with them—especially Venusaur. She felt that if she had been born a Pokémon, she would have been a Bulbasaur, and Venusaur would have been her father.

"Wow, Daniel," Derrick said in wonder, looking at the circle of large Pokémon that surrounded Daniel—Venusaur, Tyranitar, Typhlosion, Salamence, and a Gyarados glaring indignantly from a cramped fountain. "I wish you _had_ had your Pokémon with you at the raid. We wouldn't have had _any_ problems."

Daniel cocked his head to the side as Marowak scrambled from his chest to his left shoulder. "Damn right we wouldn't have. Especially with Sally over here. Right, boy?" he asked of the Salamence, who gazed back at Daniel with half-lidded eyes.

"Sally?" Derrick asked. "Isn't that a girl's name?"

Immediately, Daniel and all six of his Pokémon fixed Derrick with silent, level gazes. "Sally," Daniel said slowly, "is _not_ a girl." The whole team growled in agreement.

"Sorry," Derrick said quickly. He glanced over at the Salamence. "I'm sorry," he repeated.

Sally nodded once and shook its wings briefly before settling down contentedly into the grass.

"Aren't Dragon Pokémon supposed to be incredibly hard to train?" Alyssa asked from the other end of the blanket. She leaned against Ian's side, legs extended before her, with Ziggy sprawled comfortably across her lap.

Daniel shrugged. "I guess. But Sally over here wasn't difficult. _Gyarados_, though." He shot the Pokémon a glare. "He's a troublemaker."

Gyarados made a rumbling sound and flipped its tail inside the fountain.

"Well it's not _my_ fault the fountain's so small, now is it?" Daniel demanded. "If you're so uncomfortable, come out onto the grass." When the Gyarados simply growled low in its throat and tried to squish a bit flatter into the fountain, Daniel snorted derisively and said, "That's what I thought. Such a diva."

"Altaria's a Dragon Pokémon," Cassandra said brightly. She reached out and stroked Altaria's head. "She wasn't difficult at all."

"That is simply because you are so very talented, m'lady," Alexandré said quietly. Cassandra blushed a deep shade of red. Altaria chirruped indignantly. "And because you have such a beautiful personality, Altaria," he added, and the Pokémon nodded approval.

"Good save," Belle called from Venusaur's shade.

Companionable silence fell over the group as they all enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Alyssa shifted against Ian's side and leaned her head back, looking at him upside-down. He glanced sideways at her and smiled; she smiled in reply. Ever since that day they had vehemently proclaimed their love for each other, they had been nigh inseparable. It was difficult to get privacy in such a full apartment, but neither of them seemed to mind much; they sat together, staring at each other, almost never participating in conversation. Ian would be leaving for Almia soon, and while Alyssa would be going later, they probably wouldn't get a chance to see each other. Each had their separate business in the region.

Cassandra sat next to Alexandré, but the two didn't touch; even accidental touches sent them both into fits of blushing and mumbling apologies. They only ventured to boldly hold hands when no one was around, and even then they kept their faces angled away, blushing furiously. Alexandré, too, would be leaving for Almia, and every time Cassandra thought about that, a large knot formed in her stomach—not only would she miss him, but she might have to _hug_ him. If she could barely stand to touch his hand without her face catching fire, how would she handle a full embrace?

Belle and Derrick hadn't bothered with public affection. Each of them had too many other things to worry about, namely Daniel or Koko, and they knew that they would be seeing each other again soon. Even now, Derrick sat close to Belle but kept his eye locked firmly on his little sister, where she sat motionless beside Rargus, his Arcanine, with her hand on the Pokémon's leg. For her part, Belle stayed focused on the way Venusaur's petals swayed in the breeze, occasionally throwing glances to the other five of her father's team as if reassuring herself that they were still there.

"So, Cassandra," Alyssa said suddenly, breaking the silence. Almost startled, everyone turned their attention to her. "What are you gonna do now?"

Cassandra smiled and tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "I need to get back to Hoenn for a bit," she said. "With you guys gone, I don't know how I'm going to afford the apartment, so I need to talk to my parents." She frowned. "Plus, I need to…talk to my parents. Y'know…about other stuff."

Alyssa and Belle nodded solemnly.

"You're going back to Almia, right?" Cassandra asked.

"Yeah. Need to get Heath—uh, Alexandré—back home, y'know." She squirmed, shifting her injured leg. Alexandré smiled when she stumbled over his name. It was likely that she would never fully be able to think of him as Alexandré, and he wasn't sure he wanted her to. "And Belle's going back to Kanto, of course. With Derrick."

"Not with Derrick," Belle replied. She sat up and leaned easily against Venusaur's back. The Pokémon made a low rumbling noise almost like a purr, and she absently stroked his head. "I'm taking Dad to the gym where Mom is. Derrick's going to Cinnabar Island, where _his_ mom is."

"And what about after?" Cassandra teased.

Derrick shifted uneasily. "I…I have a lot of things to take care of on Cinnabar," he said. Belle glanced at him, tucking her fingers underneath her head. He was frowning in Koko's direction. She could practically see the gears turning in his brain.

A strange silence followed Derrick's words as everyone but Belle fully considered the implications of Koko for the first time.

And then a loud belch sounded across the blanket. Startled, everyone whipped their gazes to the source—Tyranitar, sitting complacently beside Sally, had made the noise, and now he settled deeper into the grass, a clawed hand on his armored belly.

"Manners, Tyranitar," Daniel said sternly, and the Pokémon grumbled in an apologetic tone. Marowak wrapped an arm around Daniel's face in such a way as to inadvertently cover his nose.

The picture was so absurd and familiar that Belle burst out laughing, and everyone soon followed suit.

Eventually the chill clutched at the air once again, and so everyone returned to the apartment, where they each had their own duties. Alexandré excused himself and went to his own home; he and Cassandra had a dinner date later that night. Derrick had to take Koko back to the room in which he stayed—she didn't like to hang around people, and he preferred to stay with her. Belle had yet to begin packing, and with most of the others preoccupied, she took the opportunity. Daniel retreated to his room for solitude. Cassandra commandeered the bathroom.

Alyssa and Ian sat in the floor of the living room. He sat against the wall, and she leaned against him, her head somewhere between his shoulder and chest. Ziggy sprawled out on Alyssa's lap; she ran one hand absently through his fur, laying the other on Ian's knee. Ian put his arm around her shoulders. "Love you," he said gently.

"Love you too," she replied. She smiled, blushing slightly. Saying that still made her stomach do strange flip-flops, and hearing it made it even worse.

"So," he said, placing his cheek on her head. "I'm heading to Almia tomorrow."

"I know," she sighed. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She felt him plant a kiss on the top of her head. "But you'll be coming soon after, right?"

"Yeah, but I'll be at home, mostly. It's gonna be a shock for Mom and Dad…y'know, with Heath back and all. Alexandré," she corrected herself. "With Alexandré back." She smiled as Ziggy stretched. "And you'll be at Ranger HQ."

"Yeah."

"But when Heath leaves…I don't know when he's planning on that…I'm going straight up to Ranger HQ and demanding some sort of desk job. Not being with the Corps is making me crazy."

"I'll bring you flowers every day," Ian said.

She smiled shyly. "There will be other girls there," she told him. "You might get bored of little ol' me with all those non-injured skirts flitting around."

Ian laughed softly. "Alyssa, you're a lot of things, but you could never be boring." He swept his thumb along her cheek. "And how do I know you won't be the same? There will be a _lot_ of guys there."

"Well, I'm sure I'll be beating them off with a stick," she sighed.

He laughed again, and they lapsed into silence. Ziggy fell asleep, so she took the hand that had been scratching him and laced her fingers with Ian's. "I love you," she told him softly.

"I love you, too," he whispered.

* * *

Cassandra smiled nervously over her plate. The anxiety that permeated her belly was much different than the sort she felt before a contest—she had never been on a date before. Alexandré smiled back; he seemed a bit nervous, too.

They had run out of things to talk about and therefore had lapsed into an almost crushing silence. Neither knew how to approach the other. _We used to talk so easily,_ Cassandra thought, remembering how they used to wander the Contest Hall together, arm-in-arm. She glanced around the restaurant. "This is a nice place," she said for the fifth time, taking in the gleaming tables, romantic lighting, and well-dressed servers. Somewhere there was the faint sound of someone playing soft jazz on a piano, but she had yet to pinpoint the instrument.

"It's one of my favorites," Alexandré replied, also for the fifth time.

"I can't wait for the food," she added. "It sounded delicious."

"I hope it will be to your liking."

"I'm sure it will," she said lamely. They both glanced away from each other, too nervous to continue. She picked up her glass and took a small sip of her drink. _You're being stupid,_ she told herself. _There's one huge thing you two have in common—well, two, if you count Alyssa._ "Alexandré," she began, setting down her glass. His gaze snapped to her. "Um—how did you become a Coordinator? You know, once you arrived in Sinnoh?"

Alexandré adopted a half-smile that she had come to realize meant he didn't want to answer. "That is such a long tale," he told her. "I wouldn't want to bore you, m'lady."

"But I'm interested," she pressed. "You told us how you got to Sinnoh, but not what happened afterwards."

"Really, m'lady, it's quite boring."

"But I'd like to know."

"M'lady," he said, and his smile dropped. "It—it does not make good dinner conversation."

She frowned. "How?"

"If you really wish to know," he told her, "I will tell you later, after dinner. We shall take a walk in the park, and I will tell you the whole tale."

"I'd like that," she said with a smile.

His own smile returned. "Excellent. But, I am interested, m'lady, in hearing your story from your own mouth—I have read it in many magazines, but it is too good an opportunity to pass up to hear you speak of it."

Cassandra nodded. She told him the story of how she started out, which lasted until their food arrived. From there, they launched into conversation about the differences in Hoenn and Sinnoh contests, and from there to stories of their victories and defeats. She hardly noticed when the meal was over and Alexandré took her arm and guided her out of the restaurant, toward the park.

As soon as they entered the park, Alexandré grew somber. Cassandra knew he was too much of a gentleman to go back on his word, but his demeanor worried her, and she considered releasing him from his obligation.

"The sky during a sunset is beautiful," Alexandré said, and he glanced at her. "Especially the way it sets your hair aglow…like fire."

She blushed as she remembered their first meeting. She still had the rose he had given her—something had compelled her to press it, and so it was currently between the pages of a book.

"It was sunset when I first arrived in Sinnoh, you know. Since then, I have always felt that sunsets were beginnings." He smiled a bit. "The tale is long. I will attempt to shorten it as best I can."

"All right," she breathed.

He nodded. "I arrived in Jubilife City with almost no money and no place to stay. The few belongings I had were my clothes and a stationery set that Alyssa had given me. I wanted my first Pokémon, so I walked to Sandgem. I chose Piplup—you've met Sir Lionel—because I have always felt a kinship with Empoleon.

"It's difficult to find a place to stay when you have no money; I ended up sleeping in the Jubilife City PokéCenter. But it is equally, if not more, difficult to get to Hearthome City, where I knew the contests were, with no money. Soon I could not afford food, so I foraged from trash cans and dumpsters. It wouldn't have been quite as difficult if I had not had Sir Lionel to support. I often went hungry so that he could be fed."

"Didn't Nurse Joy offer you any food?"

"Jubilife City is quite busy," Alexandré told her. "She didn't even know of me, or so I thought at the time, and I did not trust anyone enough to make myself known to them. The only people I spoke to were people willing to hire me for some sort of job. I did many things in order to make money, most of it hard labor. I worked a brief stint in an office, but the building was shut down mere weeks after I started. It took me a long time, but eventually I saved up enough money to be able to travel. Each town in which I stopped was more of the same—I had to labor to make money, forage for food, escape from thugs—"

"Escape from thugs?" Cassandra exclaimed.

"Yes. Cities are not safe at night."

"Well, what about when you got to Hearthome?"

"Things do not change simply because you arrive in the city you had been hoping to reach." Alexandré gave a wry smile. "The PokéCenter was always so busy that I hardly got to stay there."

"So where did you sleep?"

"Anywhere I could," he replied. "By this time, I had caught Luxi."

"Luxi?"

"She's my Luxray. And somewhat of my alter-ego." He chuckled. "She can be a bit brusque. She and Sir Lionel protected me from most harm, so I felt safe sleeping almost anywhere."

"So…you lived…nowhere?"

"For a great while, yes." He nodded. "I tried to get a bed at the PokéCenter whenever I could, and the Nurse Joy there recognized me. The Nurse Joy from Jubilife _had_ noticed me, and when Hearthome's Joy realized that I was homeless, she tried to save a room for me every night. She wasn't always able to, but I was grateful. Eventually I saved up enough money to register for contests. When I did, people liked me. I got more money." He shrugged. "That's really the end of the story."

Cassandra felt her mouth fall open. "Where do you live now?"

He laughed. "My lady, worry not. I have my own apartment now, and I do not want for anything." He gently placed a hand over hers where it rested on his elbow. "That…reminds me, actually. You are…going to Hoenn?"

She dipped her head. "With Belle going back to Kanto and Alyssa going back to Almia…well, I can't afford the rent on my own. Plus, I need to talk to my parents. I haven't spoken to them since…well…" She laughed. "That's a bit of a long story, too."

"Well, will you be…coming back to Sinnoh?"

She heard a note of anxiety in his voice, and it surprised her. She looked up into his face. _He's worried that he won't see me again,_ she thought. Warmth rose up in her belly, and she squeezed his arm. "As soon as I can," she told him. "If I can't afford that apartment, I'll just find another one. I want to get involved in the contests here."

Alexandré's face relaxed into a smile. "In that case, I will be happy to see you again once we both return. You…would want to see me again, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would," she told him softly, and she kissed him gently on the cheek.

* * *

Belle blinked.

Bellossum let forth a throaty laugh, and Belle huffed angrily and got to her feet. That was the fourth staring contest she'd had with the Pokémon, and she was getting sick of it. Everyone had wanted their alone time—Alyssa and Ian, Derrick and Koko, even Daniel—and now, everyone had gotten some. She was done sitting by herself in her room.

She slipped out of her room into the hallway, where she only had to walk two steps before she stood before Derrick's door. She leaned in, listening; it was very quiet in there. Maybe they were having the same problem she had been having. Koko wasn't very prone to conversation; often she would sit in the corner, knees drawn toward herself, still except for her eyes, which flicked constantly from place to place. But Belle had taken quite a liking to Koko, and Koko had taken one to Belle, even allowing herself to talk around her. And dammit, she was bored. She wanted some company.

Belle rapped her knuckles gently against Derrick's door; she heard a faint sound, and then his footsteps right before he swung the door open. "Belle," he whispered.

"I'm bored," she said.

"Sh," he said quickly, interrupting her. He stepped back and opened the door a bit wider so that she could see into the room behind him; Koko was curled on the bed, hugging Bellove to her chest, which rose and fell with the even breaths of sleep.

Belle shuffled out of his way, and he carefully moved past the threshold and closed the door behind him. She gestured to her own room; he nodded, and they entered. Belle shut the door behind them.

"She just sort of…fell asleep," Derrick said, spreading his hands.

"I saw." Belle lowered herself to sit against the wall, where she had been. Derrick sat close beside her.

"It's weird."

"What is?"

"Well, having her back…alive. I thought she was dead for so long. I like it, don't get me wrong. It's just…a bit…"

"Heart-wrenching." Belle nodded.

"Yeah. It's like, yeah, she's back, but she's…broken."

"Mmm," Belle replied sympathetically, the noise vibrating pleasantly through her throat. She glanced sideways at him and, for the first time, it really dawned on her just how young they both were. In only sixteen years, they had lost members of their family, grown up taking special care of another family member, torn themselves away from said family member in order to start their journey, challenged and defeated eight Gym Leaders, found the people they thought they had lost, and aided in bringing down a criminal organization—the last few in just the last few months. And here they were, trying to shoulder these burdens separately, when most people their age had just selected their first Pokémon and were probably struggling with their first gym.

"Hey," she said quietly. "If you ever need help—I'm here for you."

"Thanks," he replied. "But…this really might be something I need to deal with on my own."

Belle shifted, pulling her knees close to her chest. "Remember when I thought I had something I needed to deal with on my own?"

"This is different, Belle."

"Maybe a little. But the truth is that you need help whether you realize it or not." She tossed her head, flinging her bangs out of her eyes. "And while I do need to stick around my family for a while when I get back to Kanto, I won't need to be there for a long time. I can help you."

Derrick looked over at her. "Help me with what?"

"I know the family stuff might be something you wanna do on your own, but I can be around in Cinnabar when you need to talk. And didn't you say something about going to look for Koko's Tentacruel?"

He nodded.

"I can help you do that. Koko likes me, Derrick, and I like her." She reached over and gently squeezed his hand. "I also like you. And I want to help you. You should let me."

"Like you let me help you?"

"Like I _should_ have." She squeezed again. "Don't end up regretting your decision like I did."

He smiled and returned the pressure. "…okay."

She leaned over and rested her head against his shoulder, and they sat together quietly.

* * *

_An update?! Do your eyes deceive you?! NO, it is I, returrrnnned from oblivion, to grant you this chapter! *points* See?!_

_I've been uber busy lately-part of a Mass Effect fan project and stuff-and I'm really sorry I haven't been able to update! _

_For all the people who reviewed last chapter, thank you!:_

_**dragonmage123 **(Thanks! I do have a bit of a problem with describing battles.)  
_

_**WingedSmasher **(Sweet is what I was going for! :D)  
_

_**EmblemDuelist **(Thanks! .)  
_

_**Capital WHY **(I've been slow to update .)  
_

_**twisted diction **(Yeah, almost done! Phew)  
_

_So thank you sooooooo much everybody!_


	70. Chapter 69

"You sure you have everything?"

"Yes."

"Absolutely sure?"

"Absolutely sure."

"Your Styler?"

"Yes."

"Your clothes?"

"Yes."

"Your face?"

Ian smiled down at Alyssa, who was busy tying his scarf. "Y'know, I think I managed to remember that, too."

She smiled in return. "I'm gonna miss you."

"I'm gonna miss you too." He leaned down and kissed her.

"I'm gonna be sick," Belle said from behind them, where she stood with Derrick, Cassandra, and Koko.

Alyssa made a rude gesture over her shoulder and kissed Ian again.

"Hey!" Belle cried, clapping a hand over Koko's eyes. "This is a _family_ place."

They stood just outside the PokéCenter, waiting for the bus to come and take Ian, Derrick, and Koko away. Belle, Derrick, and Daniel had all vehemently argued over whether a bus was a good choice for Koko, considering how fragile she was, but Derrick had silenced them by asking them for better ideas.

"I'll be with her, and I'll let her hold Bellove," he had said. "She'll be fine."

Now Koko pressed herself against Derrick's leg, cradling Bellove in one arm as she stared at the throng of people flowing into the PokéCenter. The little Bellossum had her face buried in Koko's neck.

Cassandra tucked her hands into the pockets of her coat and watched the couples from a distance. She wasn't here to see Ian and Derrick off—not that she didn't like them. On the contrary, she was very fond of the two boys and considered them friends. She just knew that her part here wasn't to say goodbye; it was to comfort Belle and Alyssa after they left.

After a few minutes of standing around with Alyssa and Ian being very cuddly and Belle continually checking on Koko, the bus rumbled up to the Center. The doors opened and people began to get off.

"Well…looks like it's time for me to go," Ian remarked to Alyssa. He kissed her again. "Love you."

"Love you too." She kissed him. "Be careful."

"I will." He kissed her again and pulled away, heading for the bus. She grasped his hand.

"I'll miss you!"

"I'll miss you too," he replied, squeezing once before dislodging himself. He made sure Prinplup was with him before walking toward the bus.

"Be careful!" Alyssa called after him.

"I told you, I will!"

"Call me when you get there!"

"I will!"

"Tell Erma I'm coming back!"

He laughed; he was now at the steps to the bus. "I will!"

"Remember that I love you!"

"I will!" and he was gone, swept around the corner and out of sight. Alyssa stayed still and kept her gaze on the bus, searching for his form through the dark windows.

Derrick simply turned to Belle and placed a hand on the small of her back. "I'll see you soon."

"Yeah," she replied, and they kissed quickly. "Good luck."

He nodded as he pulled away, taking Koko's hand. "You ready?" he asked her; she pursed her little lips, and her grip tightened on his hand. "You're brave," he added. "We can do this."

Belle didn't shout after Derrick as he walked away. He had his hands full with his suitcase and Koko; he didn't need her voice yelling in the back of his head. When he got to the doors of the bus, he paused and glanced over his shoulder at her. She waved; he smiled and turned away.

As Derrick whipped out of sight, Cassandra looped her arm through Belle's and walked with her to where Alyssa stood, still watching the bus. She reached out and laid her hand on Alyssa's arm; the three of them watched as people boarded, and then the doors closed, and then the bus idled for what felt like hours…and then it pulled away.

The engine rumbling to life was loud, and even though they had been expecting it, all three of them started; and then they laughed at each other, but not for too long, because this was a somber occasion. They gazed silently after the bus long after it turned a corner and disappeared, even though it was cold, and even though the crowd had to part around them.

It was Alyssa who broke their silence. "I think we'll get married."

"Well, I thought you'd never ask," Cassandra replied. "But Ian will sure be devastated; he seems to think you love _him_."

"Ooh, can I be your maid of honor?" Belle asked.

"Mine or Alyssa's?"

"Alyssa's; she probably won't put me in a goofy dress. Ah, young love. I've been rooting for you crazy kids all along."

Belle and Cassandra dissolved into laughter, and Alyssa waited patiently for them to be done before she said, "No, seriously. I want to marry him."

Cassandra shared a glance with Belle. "You're, like, sixteen, Alyssa."

"Almost seventeen."

"That's still _young_," Belle told her.

"But I think that'll work for us, y'know?" Alyssa replied.

"Don't you think you should date more than _one guy_ before you go deciding you wanna marry somebody?" Cassandra asked. "Or at least date him a little longer?"

Alyssa shrugged. "Not really. I'm sure he's the one for me."

Belle cocked her head. "Have you…talked to Ian about this?"

"Oh, God no. I'm not _that_ crazy. And I'm not saying it has to happen right _now_. I just…know I'm gonna marry him."

"Well, whatever makes you happy," Cassandra said.

Belle sighed. "We should head back to the apartment."

"Yeah." Alyssa gathered herself on her crutches. "It's gonna feel awfully empty."

"Well, Dad's still there. Maybe he'll be opening and closing cabinets."

"I hope he's not trying to cook," Cassandra offered. "You'd think he'd remember how stoves work."

They fell silent again as they started walking. "Mom'll teach him again," Belle said softly.

Cassandra squeezed her arm. "You guys are leaving soon, huh?"

"Really soon. I'm nervous."

"Everything will be fine," Alyssa assured her. "I don't think your mom will have time to be mad at you, what with all the s—"

"_Alyssa_!" Cassandra and Belle chorused incredulously.

"—supreme joy she'll be feeling. Geez, you guys are rude. Interrupting." She grinned.

"Speaking of family reunions, aren't you heading back to Almia soon?" Belle asked.

"Yeah. …I wonder how my mom will react. I'm sure Dad will take it all in quietly, but Mom…she might actually be mad. And speaking of angry mothers—how will Joanna be, do you think?"

Cassandra sighed heavily. "I don't even wanna think about it right now. Let's just…enjoy the time we have together, okay?"

Belle laid her head on her friend's shoulder. "Okay."

* * *

_Hi guys! Yeah, it's short, but I promise the next one will be longer. I won't make any promises on when the next ones are coming, seeing as I'm terribly inconsistent._

_Anyway, thank you to people who reviewed!:_

**_adrogoz_**_ (A Coordinator is someone who does Pokemon Contests. They do occur in the anime; they make their debut in the season with May. She becomes a Coordinator. I don't think they call them anything in the games, though.)_

**_Moriko no Hikari_**_ (Yeeeaaah, I'm afraid I left you waiting a long time. But yay! You're new! And I really appreciate your resolve in reading all these chapters. Most people would just give up after seeing so many.)_

_Thank you guys for sticking around and reading, if you're still here. I'll try and post the next ones soon!_


	71. Chapter 70

The flight back to Hoenn was long and lonely after being surrounded by her friends for so long. Cassandra pulled her jacket tight to her and glanced down at the ocean passing below. She had called to inform her parents of her homecoming, but when Dorothia answered, it had been to inform her that they weren't home at the moment. She had promised to deliver the message. Cassandra had tried not to read into the woman's worried expression.

It seemed strange to be making the trip back so soon. She had planned on spending years in Sinnoh, building her career before she ever came home. But so much had happened. And she needed to see her parents. She wanted to talk to them in person. This wasn't the end of her career in Sinnoh, she told herself. She would return, she would rise to fame the same way she had in Hoenn—of that she was certain. Her family, however, was more important.

Cassandra felt her stomach turn as she crossed the shore of Hoenn. It turned even more as she caught sight of Verdanturf, then seemed to disappear altogether once she set eyes on her house. Altaria took her in for a calm landing, gently releasing the bags in her talons so that they dropped to the ground with a soft _thump_ before settling on the green lawn with a ruffle of feathers.

Her limbs were stiff from the cold as well as sitting frozen in one position for so long. She stretched her legs and slid carefully to the ground, knees buckling once she got there, grasping Altaria for support as she worked to get her blood flowing again.

She had just walked over to grab her bags when the front door opened and her parents came out onto the lawn.

Cassandra froze. As per usual, she felt herself assessing her own appearance as she came into her mother's presence—windblown hair, cheeks red from the sting of the cold wind, bundled in mismatched layers without any regard to fashion. She mentally prepared herself for stinging criticism.

And then she stopped. Both Joanna and Gerald looked…different, she realized as they started walking across the yard toward her. Tired. Gerald wasn't in his usual suit. He wore a zipped-up jacket and pressed khaki pants, way more casual than he normally appeared, though more formal than the average person. His dark hair was simply brushed, not styled. Stubble colored his jaw, and his goatee seemed to have become slightly unruly.

Joanna looked so different, Cassandra found herself staring. Her hair was down, she had no makeup, and…she was wearing _jeans_. Old, faded blue jeans with a patch on one knee and bleach stains on the thigh. Her feet were clad in sneakers, something Cassandra hadn't even thought her mother owned. She looked…normal.

"Welcome home, Sandy-bear," Gerald said as they approached. He didn't seem as loudly happy as he usually was.

"Thanks, Dad," Cassandra replied with a smile. She glanced over at Joanna, who offered up a smile that seemed timid.

"You…um…must be tired," she said, stumbling a bit over her words. "We should…head inside." And then she seemed to jump. "I'll help you with your bags!" She walked quickly over to them.

"I can get them myself—" Cassandra began, but Joanna was already hefting a duffel bag over her shoulder.

"Nonsense! Just go on inside, I'll bring these!"

Gerald walked over to her and lifted the bag easily off her shoulder. "I'll get this one; you grab the other. Go on inside, Sandy-bear."

Confused, Cassandra returned Altaria to her Ball and headed into the house, where she hovered uncertainly in the entranceway, watching Gerald and Joanna's slow progress across the yard. They were talking and pausing frequently. Cassandra wrung her hands. What was going on?

"Cassandra?"

She turned, her startled expression changing quickly to a smile. "Dorothia," she greeted the woman. "Hi."

"Hi, honey." Dorothia smiled warmly. "Why don't you take off your coat and stay a while?"

Cassandra laughed a bit. "Right. I'm just…nervous."

Dorothia nodded knowingly and stepped forward to help Cassandra out of her bulky coat. "They certainly have been acting strange. I fully expected them to fire me that day they had the fight. And what a _fight_ that was!"

"What happened after Dad trashed the bedroom?" Cassandra asked in a whisper.

"He came downstairs and trashed the parlor," she replied easily, her hands moving to one of Cassandra's many scarves, since she seemed to be frozen in shock. "And then he yelled at Miss Joanna some more until she started yelling back, and then _she_ started trashing things."

"She yelled back? About what?"

"Well, I don't think I should tell you all that," Dorothia said quietly. "If they want you to know, they'll tell you, honey. Gracious, girl, are you five years old again? Do I have to peel all these layers off you, or are you gonna help me?"

Cassandra hurried to unwind her own scarves. "What did she trash?"

"Just a few things. Didn't cause near as much destruction as your father. Just smashed a few vases, things she'd bought. After a while your father stormed out."

"He did?" Cassandra's mouth fell open.

"He did. And you know, the next day, Miss Joanna cleaned everything up herself. She called the maids and cancelled them for that week, and she spent the whole day cleaning. It certainly was something to see."

Cassandra pursed her lips. She couldn't imagine her mother _cleaning_. "You've got to be joking."

Dorothia let out a chuckle. "Surely as I'm standing here, your mother cleaned up the whole house. Did you see she still hasn't fixed the window your father broke?"

"No!"

"She put tape over it and a screen to block the chill. That's it." Dorothia glanced past Cassandra's shoulder, out the window. "I'll take these to your room; they're almost to the door." She hefted all of Cassandra's bulky coats and scarves and gloves into her arms and stood for a second, her eyes roaming Cassandra's face. "…my, how you've grown." And with that, she hurried away.

Cassandra turned to open the door for her parents, and they brought her bags in and set them down. Gerald opened his arms to wrap her in a hug. "Sandy-bear, it really is good to have you home."

"Yes," Joanna agreed clumsily. She wrung her hands as Cassandra and Gerald ended their hug. "Um—your bags should go up to your room. Dor—um. I can take them," she amended eagerly, reaching for them again.

"Stop!" Cassandra cried. "Geez! Can we _talk_? Can we all _talk_? I can take my _own_ bags up _later_!"

"But they'll be here by the door, cluttering—" Joanna fell silent at glance from Gerald. She pressed her lips together and nodded. "Right. Who cares. Um…"

"Let's all go sit in the parlor," Gerald suggested. He placed a hand on the small of Joanna's back. "Would that be all right?"

"Yes," she replied. "Yes. Let's go."

The parlor seemed empty. Almost all the decorations were gone, most likely due to Joanna and Gerald's rampage. The coffee table was gone, too.

"Sit," Gerald offered, gesturing to one of the chairs. Cassandra sank into it gratefully; her knees were starting to wobble. Gerald and Joanna sat on the couch facing her. "Let's talk."

But despite those words, no one spoke. They sat in a strange silence. Cassandra watched her parents warily, waiting for one of them to say something. When it seemed like that wasn't going to happen, she let out a frustrated sigh. "What is going _on_?" she asked irritably.

Gerald and Joanna glanced at each other in surprise. "What?" Gerald asked.

"You haven't called me since I called you from Sinnoh!" she huffed.

"Well, you haven't called us either," Joanna reminded her.

"There's a reason for that."

"What is it?"

"I really don't wanna get into it right this second," Cassandra said. "Besides, you guys haven't told me anything. I haven't heard anything since the fight—"—her parents winced—"—and I want to know what is going _on_ with you two!"

"With us!" Joanna's mouth fell open. "Oh! That!"

"Yes, _that_." Cassandra sighed in exasperation.

Once again, Gerald and Joanna shared a glance; when they turned back to Cassandra, Gerald looped his arm easily over his wife's shoulders.

"I'm going to work on getting rid of all this bitterness," Joanna said.

"And I'm going to support her," Gerald added. He glanced at her. "And we're working on the relationship. It wasn't all her fault. If I had been home more, paid more attention…I would have noticed Joanna was hurting long before we had you."

"It's mostly my fault."

"No. We're equally to blame."

"We're going to counseling," Joanna added to Cassandra. "And...actually, I…wanted to apologize to you."

Cassandra's lips pressed into a line.

"I've…treated you horribly. I've been awful. Overly critical, unnecessarily antagonistic…and I'm sorry. I'm really going to be better. I'm going to be a better wife, and I'm going to be a better mother. I know this is late," she added, glancing down at her hands, which were twisting over themselves in her lap. "Most mothers get over themselves after a year or two of having a child, and here I waited until you—" She paused, pressing her lips together. "Until you were—grown—and leaving—" Her voice cracked; she shook her head slowly. And then she pulled in a deep breath. "I can't…give you your childhood back. But I can promise you that I will be better."

When did her parents start looking so old? Cassandra stared at them, seeming to notice their wrinkles for the first time. She nodded absently, unsure of how to respond.

"There's—other news," Gerald said hesitantly, glancing at Joanna. She gave him a small nod, and he turned his attention back to Cassandra, his trademark grin suddenly back in place. "I'm—well—I'll just _say_ it. Sandy-bear, Devon still wants to sponsor you."

Cassandra felt her mouth fall open. "Wh-wha—" She stared at her parents' beaming faces, shock radiating from her every pore. "But I—I didn't win—only Master Rank winners get sponsored!"

"That's not necessarily a law," Joanna told her. "It's just tradition."

"And you've been garnering a lot of publicity," Gerald added. "You gave the ribbon back and then _disappeared_. No one knows why, and no one knows where you went. Practically every other gossip column is speculation about you. We even got contacted for interviews, but we refused."

"What about that guy?" Cassandra asked. She glanced at Joanna, afraid of ruining the happy mood. "Y'know…the one you…"

"Bribed?" Joanna finished. "Vernon Ince? He won't talk. It'll hurt his reputation even more than yours if this gets out." She crossed her legs and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Frankly, I'm surprised that little friend of yours didn't talk. I kept expecting her to run her mouth to get her fifteen minutes of fame—"

"Karen's not like that," Cassandra snapped, and Joanna's mouth snapped shut. She nodded and closed her eyes.

"You're right," she said quietly. "I'm sorry."

"If you'd like, we can go to Rustboro and meet with Mr. Devon tomorrow," Gerald told her, gently patting Joanna's shoulder. "That is—if you want the sponsorship."

Cassandra blinked, astounded. This was too much to take in all at once. She leaned forward, putting her face in her hands. "I—I—this is a lot," she said, her voice muffled.

"Yes," Joanna replied, and Cassandra peeked through her fingers at her. "I bet it is. You don't have to decide right now."

Gerald nodded. "But…it would be a good idea if you decided soon."

"Gerald," Joanna said sternly as Cassandra put her face back in her hands. She stared at her fingers and tried to breathe evenly. And then a fierce joy welled up in her stomach.

This was _good_. All this, everything that was happening—it was _good_. So good, in fact, that it was difficult to believe. Gerald no longer oblivious to Joanna? Joanna making attempts to be a better person, even _apologizing_? That was enough to floor her. But now, on top of that, Devon still wanted to sponsor her? This was good. This was amazing. This was actually fantastic news, and she was reacting like a baby. _Of course_ she wanted Devon's sponsorship. _Of course_ she wanted to go meet with Mr. Devon tomorrow and accept. She sat up and raked her fingers through her messy, windblown hair, letting a smile creep across her face.

"Yes," she said, and both Gerald and Joanna broke into wide grins. "Yes, I really do want to meet with Mr. Devon tomorrow."

"Great!" Gerald leapt to his feet. "I'll call him right now!"

"Oh, Dad?" she called as he started to dash out of the room. He stopped and whirled toward her, still beaming.

"Yes, Sandy-bear?"

"I'm gonna want to head into Rustboro early. There's somewhere I need to go before I meet with Mr. Devon."

* * *

Gerald had insisted on walking with Cassandra through the Rusturf Tunnel, even though she assured him she would be just fine flying to Rusboro alone, and that she would be leaving him to take her detour. After a few moments of arguing, she figured he just wanted to spend a little time with her, so she acquiesced.

It was a long walk. Cassandra spent most of the time telling him about things in Sinnoh, leaving out the raid—that was something she thought she might break to both her parents at the same time, if she brought it up at all. When they arrived in Rustboro, Cassandra let Altaria out of her Ball and looked over at Gerald. "I'll meet you at the PokéCenter as soon as I can, Dad," she told him. "But I really need to go alone, okay?"

He nodded. "All right. I'll see you later."

Cassandra nodded and climbed onto Altaria's back, taking to the skies. She knew she wouldn't be able to find her destination on foot, but she would easily spot it from the air.

It only took a few minutes of flying for her to spot it—the bright yellow house surrounded by greenery. She urged Altaria to fly faster.

It was early in the morning, but Cassandra could see someone emerging from the house, a Jumpluff trailing behind them. She felt a grin spreading across her face as anticipation turned her stomach. Her fingers grabbed onto Altaria's feathers as the Pokémon began its descent.

"Hello!" she called down as Altaria grew nearer, and the person in the yard looked up, their dark blue hair framing their face.

"Hello, Na-dra!" Chryssi called back, waving.

Cassandra couldn't keep herself from grinning as Altaria landed, and she hurried to disentangle herself from the Pokémon. "Is Karen home?" she asked, trying not to fall off Altaria in her haste.

"She's inside," Chryssi told her. She patted Cassandra's shoulder. "Ooh. Your aura is certainly more dense than the last time you were here."

Cassandra nodded. "Thank you…I think."

"Just go right on in. No need to knock," Chryssi said. "And why don't you let your Pokémon out?"

"Thanks." Cassandra released the rest of her team and headed across the yard, leaving everyone but Fluffy behind. She felt herself smiling. Everything was so much brighter than she remembered. She felt Fluffy push his nose into her hand, and she scratched his ears as she walked up to the front door, gently pushing it open.

The living room was exactly as mismatched and cluttered as she remembered. They had acquired a new lamp—a short, fat, bright blue one, its shade patterned with drawings of Clefairy—which sat on the end table by the couch.

Cassandra glanced around, seeing no one. "Karen?" she said timidly, drifting toward the kitchen. No one there, either. She heard a faint mechanic hum and turned towards the small hallway, which seemed to be the source of the noise. "Karen?"

The doors were all open, but one room caught her attention. It contained a bed, a desk, a dresser, and a nightstand, and every single available surface was covered in stacks of fabric—every sort of fabric Cassandra had ever seen in her life, and some she hadn't. And sitting at the desk, bent over a sewing machine, was Karen. Her pink hair was up in a ponytail, and she had several pins between her teeth. She was pushing some sort of thick fabric through her sewing machine, her forehead wrinkled in concentration, one hand deftly pulling out pins as the sewing machine thrummed along. Tuffly was stretched out on the bed with a coloring book. It looked up as Cassandra entered and let out a cry, leaping to its feet.

Karen grunted in annoyance and paused in her work to glance over her shoulder. When she saw Cassandra, she simply stared at her for a few short seconds, then jerked her thumb at the bed and went back to her work.

Cassandra drifted over to the bed and sat down next to Tuffly, who happily tugged at her sleeve. Fluffy sat down by her feet.

Karen jerked a pin out of her mouth. "Why are you back from Sinnoh so soon?" she asked around the other pins.

"It's complicated," Cassandra replied. She patted Tuffly's head.

Karen made a noise somewhere between a scoff and a grunt. "I've been watching the Sinnoh contest news. You didn't even enter."

"Like I said, it's complicated."

The sewing machine got a bit louder, filling the silence between them.

"I came here to tell you something. Have you got a minute?"

Karen tugged at the fabric, not letting up on the machine's pedal. "Sure."

"So, I'm in Rustboro because I have a meeting with Mr. Devon of the Devon Corporation. They want to sponsor me."

The machine noise immediately stopped and Karen whirled in her chair, pulling all the pins from her mouth. "What are you doing _here_?" she demanded.

"The meeting's not for a few hours," Cassandra told her, grinning. "I just thought that maybe…you'd want to come."

Karen leapt to her feet. "You thought I'd want to go with you?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "I…want you to be there."

Karen was silent for what seemed like an eternity, her eyes boring into Cassandra's, her arms folded across her chest. She hadn't grown any taller, Cassandra noticed.

"Well, I'm certainly not going if _that's _what you're wearing," Karen snapped, and Cassandra grinned.

* * *

_Hi guys! I'm back with another chapter! Thanks so much for sticking with me (if you've stuck with me) and reading this far!_

_And a big thank-you to my reviewers!:_

**_Pyroknight95_**_ (Wow, that is definitely a lot of reading. I'm really flattered you took the time to do that! And writing fanfiction - or anything, really - just takes practice. So practice practice practice!)_

**_Lindril_**_ (Thank you! I'm glad you like Belle; she's my favorite, too. Well, sort of. Cassandra is also my favorite. Kinda. And Alyssa is my favorite as well. ...okay, so they're all my favorite. But I'm still glad you like Belle!)_

**_antonm1107 _**_(I don't know if you'll ever get this far into the story, since it seems you aren't quite liking it, but thank you for the criticism!)_

_That's it for reviewers. At any rate, we are very near the end here! And if any of you are reading and not reviewing, thank you for reading!_


End file.
